march 2008

WestJet soars to record profit anddevelops a loyalty program

Calgary-based WestJet combined high passengerloads, cost controls, market share increases and a feder-al corporate income tax cut to a record profit of $75.4million in the fourth quarter of 2007, nearly triple itsyear-earlier showing of $26.7 million.

The tax cut accounted for a “one-time favourableadjustment” to profit of $33.7 million, and without thisprofit was $41.7 million, up 56.3 per cent from thefourth quarter of 2006. In other news, WestJet is alsodeveloping its own loyalty program, offering rewardssuch as Florida getaways through its fast-growing vaca-tion division. The new program will be in place for2009. WestJet envisages stimulating travel demand byissuing bonus points to passengers who fly on slowerdays, notably Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

The airline plans to drop its Air Miles affiliation as well asits accord with the Bank of Montreal BMO MosaikMasterCard, although BMO could still be involved in launch-ing a new credit card. WestJet signed up with Air Miles in2000 and began awarding points in 2003.

WestJet’s profit surged 68 per cent in 2007 to $193 million.On the Web: www.westjet.com.

PCMA pushes green trend at meeting The green theme was clearly evident at the record-

setting 52nd Annual Meeting of the ProfessionalConvention Management Association (PCMA) in Seattle,Wash. from Jan. 13-16.

The unaudited record attendance was 3,400 attendees, withan estimated mix of 60 per cent supplier and 40 per cent meet-ing planner. The student attendance of 237 also set a record.

Although the Seattle convention didn’t match the PCMA’s2007 Annual Meeting in Toronto as being a “zero-waste”event, there were still a wide variety of green initiatives forthe show, including: reusable water bottles and water sta-tions, registration bags (produced by BrandAdvantage)made from organic jute and recycled nylon, and recycled paper was used for all printed material.

The organization said it added 576 new members in 2007and used the Annual Meeting to unveil its re-tooled website.

On the Web: www.pcma.org

March ’08 3 THEPLANNER

> Industry News

DID YOU KNOW ...1 IN 10 CANADIANS WORKS IN THE

TOURISM SECTOR, WHICH GENERATES ABOUT

2 % OF THE COUNTRY’S GROSS NATIONAL

PRODUCT (GNP). SO ENCOURAGE LOCAL

BUSINESSES AND WE ALL BENEFIT.

Future trends– now!Two articles in this month’s Planner are

definitely about the future.The first, written by Sandra Wood, is on the green movement

about which we are hearing more and more on a daily basis andwhich The Planner has been writing about for well over a year.Ms. Woods was at the forefront of the movement and the associ-ation she works for reflects this new reality of planners wantingtheir suppliers to be green.

The other article, written by Jeff Mowatt, is also about a defi-nite trend and suppliers wanting to grow – in fact just to stay inbusiness – would do well to read it, probably more than once.

We at The Planner also believe that the sizzle without the steakwill no longer be accepted. It’s all fine and dandy to promote thesenses – but we mustn’t lose sight of “common sense.” This is whyanother word you will hear mentioned more and more in thefuture will be authenticity. Corporate culture will have to reflectthe authenticity of the branding message it sends out. As they say,“Is it real or is it marketing?” As budgets get leaner planners willwant the real deal. Businesses will have to stop selling perceptionand focus on delivering the goods.

In keeping with this spirit next month’s contest, to be spon-sored by the Montreal Hilton Bonaventure Hotel, will ask you togive us the names of companies which are easy to do businesswith and why.

And keep the spirit – it will be spring in a few weeks!

– Leo Gervais

4 March ’08THEPLANNER

> Ed. Note T H E I N T E R N A T I O N A L E D I T I O N

In th is Issue6>

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THEPLANNEREDITOR AND PUBLISHER Leo Gervais [email protected] EDITORS Camille Lay [email protected]

Jyl Ashton Cunningham [email protected] ARTIST Matt RiopelSALES James Paulson [email protected] Tania Joanis, Patricia LemusCONTRIBUTORS Deerhurst Resort, Cynthia Fell, Philippe Kwon,

Jeff Mowatt, Barry Siskind, Sandra Wood, Sharon Worsley

2105 de la Montagne, suite 100Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Z8

Telephone: (514) 849-6841 ext. 333 Fax: (514) 284-2282We welcome your comments: [email protected]

The Planner is a monthly publication distributed to professional meeting and event planners across Canada.

The Planner uses 30% recycled post-consumer paper.Poste-publication No. 40934013

The green trend/marketIt’s probably the hottest corporate trend –how to hold a green meeting. Sandra Woodhas produced and written about green meetingsand she provides our readers with some usefultips and ideas on how to go green.

Less is betterExhibitors often have a tendency to put toomuch into their display. Longtime columnistand exhibit display expert Barry Siskind provides some useful ways to simplify your exhibit and avoid the all-to-commonmistake of information overload.

Ask the A/V expertPhilippe Kwon of Inland AV in Winnipeg,looks to offer planners useful advice byanswering your questions. This month’s column looks at video and computerswitching and how to do it well.

Your Magic MomentsWe received tremendous response to ourMagic Moments contest from last month,and we are pleased to share with you someof the wonderful stories and experiencesyou readers have had over the years atnumerous hotels and venues.

Digital camerasThe past decade has seen a virtual revolutionin the photography business, including theremarkable drop in price of the ubiquitousdigital camera. Editor Leo Gervais offerssome advice on how to choose a camerathat will suit your needs.

F.E.A.R.Sharon Worsley has an interesting take onF.E.A.R. – False Evidence Appearing Real. In a world where perception is reality, thisarticle cuts through the chaff to help usunderstand how to conquer our fears.

Buying trendsJeff Mowatt sees a coming trend in people’sbuying habits – customers are much moreinterested in the total buying experience.Jeff looks at the risk and opportunity in thistrend and how to capitalize on it.

Cover photo: The Muskoka region in Ontario.

March ’08 5THEPLANNER

This month’s Chat with aConcierge is with Korey Rorison,Chief Concierge at the Pillar andPost located in Niagara-On-The-Lake. he is also a member of LesClefs d'Or Canada.

1. What unique services can youprovide planners? Wine tours, Golfing, Restaurant rec-ommendations, airport and local transport. You name it,we can do it.

2. What restaurants do you recommend in your cityfor groups? The Cannery and Carriages, Escabeche,Tiara Restaurant, Peller Estates Winery, and RistoranteGiordino just to name a few.

There are also several wineries like Inniskillin,Jackson-Triggs and Chateau Des Charmes that offer offsite catering for large corporate events.

3. What nightlife do you recommend in your city?The many performances at the Shaw Festival, enjoyinglive music at the historic Olde Angel Inn, and TwilightIn the Vineyards at Jackson-Triggs Niagara EstateWinery’s outdoor amphitheatre.

4. What interesting, off-beat or unique places doyou recommend to planners? Taking a ride on thewild Niagara Jet Boat; the only water craft that bothCanadian and U.S. Coastguards allow on the NiagaraRiver.

5. What are your not-to-be-missed places or things tosee? We quite literally are 30 minutes from Niagara Fallsand the Fallsview Casino and Resort. Not to mention sur-rounded by approximately 50 wineries. Depending onthe time of year there is the Niagara Ice Wine Festival(Jan), Cuvee Wine Awards (Mar), New Vintage Festival(May), Niagara Wine Auction Weekend (Jun), and thetwo week Niagara Wine Festival (Sept).

6. What are the best jogging/walking circuits you recommend? Right outside thedoor of the Pillar and Post is the Niagara Parkway. Thisbeautiful parkway winds its way to Niagara Falls andhas a well groomed pathway for runners and cyclists.

7. How much does/should a cab ride cost from theairport to the downtown core? We are located 45minaway from Buffalo International Airport ($90.00 CDNapprox), an hour and a half from Pearson Internationalin Toronto ($140.00) and 15 minutes from the localNiagara District Airport ($25.00).

> CHAT WITH A CONCIERGE


Greening is now a marketBY SANDRA WOOD

What a difference a year makes. When I thinkof where I was this time last year little did Iknow of how things would change so quickly.

This time last year I wanted to green up our annualmeeting but didn’t know where to begin nor did I knowwhat services and products might help get me there. Iwas really counting on the Green Meeting IndustryCouncil conference in Portland, Oregon to show me whatwas possible. GMIC didn’t let me down! I had neverattended a green event and really didn’t know what toexpect. The conference exceeded all my expectations.

I experienced an event that had minimal impact onour environment, proved that anyone can deliver agreen meeting, demonstrated that a green meeting canstill deliver valuable information without compromisingthe needs of the attendees and an event that can leaveeveryone feeling good because you know you are con-tributing to something “good” (especially the hotel staffwho were clearly very proud of the hotel’s green accom-plishments). Wow! I was so excited I could hardly con-tain myself. So back to Ottawa I came and so began ayear of intensive research and learning first-hand howto plan and deliver a green meeting.

So what exactly is a green meeting you ask? Goodquestion! Currently there are no regulations or stan-dards. If you Google the term you stumble across sev-eral definitions. However, I think GMIC has a good def-inition as follows: “A green meeting incorporates envi-ronmental considerations throughout all stages of themeeting process in order to minimize the negativeimpact on the environment and make a positive impactto host communities in terms of environmental andsocial legacies.”

MANY SHADES OF GREENYou will also hear (it is also very true) that there are

many “shades” to green and only you can determinehow green you can go. As a planner I can tell you thatdelivering a green meeting depends very much on howmuch time you have to plan a green meeting, what toolsand services are available, where you are holding theevent, what financial parameters you are working withand, most importantly, what level of support you havefrom your employer and from the venue you are using.

Take a look at the many great tools listed below.Compile your “wish list” of what you want to do (makesure you already have a “green plan” in place) and thencontact your hotel sales representative and talk to them.

Most importantly, develop a really good relationshipwith the CSM (or whomever your main logistics contactis at the venue) because you are really going to needtheir help and their support to make it happen. Don’t let the responsibility of delivering the green meet-ing fall upon the shoulders of the CSM alone. Your CSMis going to need support from the top down to engageall the departments within the venue. As the planneryou need to make sure the venue understands the valueand benefits of what you are trying to do. One thing Idid was ask the General Manager at the hotel we usedto send my CEO a letter outlining the efforts the hotelwas going to in greening up our meeting. When Ireceived the letter from the GM I was really surprised toread that “we were one of the most green events thehotel had ever hosted”. I didn’t realize it and my CEOwas very pleased to learn of the extensive efforts. Wemade sure our attendees knew it too by announcing thisin our daily newsletter during our event. The hotel hassince secured other green business as a direct result of whatthey did for us. We left being a very satisfied customer!

WORK WITH YOUR VENUEBe realistic with your expectations and work with

your venue. You will find that you will be teachingthem and they, in turn, will also be teaching you. For example, I didn’t know that some hotels are undercontract with certain coffee suppliers like Starbucks.This means they can’t just bring in a fair trade coffeefrom anywhere. However, the hotel learned that Starbucksactually have a fair trade coffee for sale so they now canoffer that particular coffee to those clients requesting fairtrade. See what I mean about mutual learning?

Joel Makower from GreenBiz says “greening is nolonger a movement, it is a market.” So true are thesewords. With a proliferation of green suppliers and products coming on-line, green meetings andevents are getting easier to plan and deliver. The tools are there, the green workshops are takingplace across Canada, there are blogs and websites andgreen guides and magazines and lots of green meetingexamples to draw on. See his interesting blog at:http://greenbiz.com/Blogs/makower.cfm.

Greening a meeting is so much easier now than itwas even a year ago and the benefits are vast.

So, get ready, get set and off you go!

Sandra Wood is the Annual Meeting Manager for the Canadian

Medical Association in Ottawa, Ontario. She can be reached at:

[email protected].

March ’08 7 THEPLANNER

MPI’s Annual Conference exploresalternative meeting strategies

More than 2,300 meeting and event professionalsconvened in Houston, Texas from February 2-5, 2008,for the Professional Education Conference – NorthAmerica (PEC-NA) co-created by Meeting ProfessionalsInternational (MPI). With the conference themedMeetDifferent, the 2008 PEC-NA conference offeredindustry professionals alternative ways to plan and con-duct meetings and events. The 2008 PEC-NA confer-ence also introduced a fresh approach to trade showexpos themed “think outside the booth.”

“The broad team of members, partners and inspiredpresenters embraced our community's quest for successthrough innovation and packaged them all into theMeetDifferent experience,” said Bruce MacMillan, CA,president & CEO of MPI. “The point was we wanted toshow what was possible and get our community tothink about what the future might look like.”

Get your Black Bar sunglassesRemember those old photographs where somebody

would have a black bar across their eyes to keep theiranonymity intact? Well, now you too can be blameless

and shameless with a pair of Black Bar Sunglasses fromwww.wishing fish.com. The company literature states“Keep Black Bars away from children and humourlessadults.” Approximate price: $7.99.

On the Web: www.wishingfish.com

Blu-ray wins the DVD warSony Corp’s Blu-ray technology has won the format

war for home movie DVDs when Toshiba bailed afterWal Mart and other large retailers backed Blu-ray.

Consumers will be the winners through better qualityhome moves and lower prices. It is a sweet victory forSony, which lost the legendary 1980s Betamax-VHS for-mat battle for video cassette technology to Matsushita.Analysts expect more Blu-ray players to be embedded inlaptop and desktop personal computers next year.

“Softness” trend cited in FloridaThe Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors

Bureau is “seeing softness” in the convention and meet-ings market, according to the Orlando Sentinel. In amember memo recently obtained by the Sentinel, thebureau said in the fourth quarter of 2007 meeting plan-ners were being “extremely conservative” in new book-ings. A “lack of confidence” was leading to downsizingevents both in size of groups and scale of meetings. Ifyou’re going to the U.S. it’s a good time to negotiate!

> Industry News


Muskoka a playground for planners

The Muskoka Lakes Township would give the beautiful Lake District in England a run for its money.In fact, the British were among the first to settle theregion over 130 years ago, perhaps because it remind-ed them of home. Today, Muskoka is the playground ofan international and largely wealthy population, as wellas being one of the most visited regions in Canada forcorporate meetings, incentives and retreats.

Being an all-year round destination is key toMuskoka’s success, as the outdoors plays such animportant part in the overall experience. Winter sportsinclude alpine and cross country skiing, snowshoeing,dog sledding and snowmobiling as well as ice fishingfor those who like to sleep while they exercise (apolo-gies to any avid ice fishers out there). For fair weatherfolks, the possibilities are endless, with golf, hiking, ecoadventures and all water sports being prevalent.Muskoka even has its own winery, located in Bala, witha respectable range of red and white cranberry, blue-berry and white blueberry wines, some of which areavailable in liquor stores. The winery offers tours, tast-ings and hay rides for groups up to 56 people.

On the Web: www.cranberry.ca

Cuisine in the region has evolved to encompass inter-national influences, although the emphasis is still verymuch centred around promoting local product, some-thing that is becoming increasingly popular with themove to reduce the carbon footprint. There is animpressive number of award winning chefs who workin Muskoka, each offering their personal talents inmenu creation. A lovely idea for groups at any level ofbudget and weather permitting, is to host a picnic out-doors at a lakeside, with sumptuous food and drink, achef on hand to cook a la minute, and elegant table set-tings. For a truly original experience, fly your guests inby float plane. Destination Muskoka, the leading DMCin the region, can organize flying trips, either as toursor charters from Toronto.

“We are very proud to offer Muskoka from the air,” saidTonya Meadows, Destination Muskoka’s representative.

Meadows also enthuses about the two famousMuskoka steamships Segwun and Wenonah, whichoffer everything from a casual cruising experience to acomplete themed onboard event. For a unique venue,Meadows recommends The Grace and Speed Museumat Muskoka Wharf, which provides a glimpse intoMuskoka’s boating heritage.

Muskoka is famous for attracting artisans, who arethere because of the natural beauty, garnering creativeenergy from each season. Optional activities can includea visit to artisan studios, or perhaps a studio experience(a recent recommendation was for glass blowing), espe-cially for spousal groups. Consider purchasing incentivegifts locally, to support artists in the region.

Resorts in the Muskoka region have come a long wayin the last decade. Although many remain family-orien-tated to accommodate vacationers, some haveembraced the corporate and incentive culture and offerhigh-end packages with elegant accommodation andfunction rooms, world-class cuisine with local and inter-national influences, luxurious spas and championshiplevel golf courses. Taboo Resort in Gravenhurstopened three years ago and has barely looked back.Taboo’s Culinary Theatre is an innovative one-of-a-kind18-seat theatre in the heart of its main dining area. Atruly interactive experience with top chefs preparinginnovative dishes as guests look on, for those who pre-fer to be cooked for than cook for themselves.

On the Web: www.tabooresort.com

Deerhurst Resort continues to be a force to be reck-oned with in the region, with two beautiful golf cours-es and a luxury spa, excellent sports facility includingindoor tennis, squash and badminton courts, and worldclass entertainment, all on site. What gives Deerhurstan edge is their partnership with Adventures inExcellence providing creative and strategic teambuild-ing, for the thinking mind as well as the active body. Atopical, Love Of The Games program uses Olympicsports to identify group strengths and maintain perspec-tive, both at work as training plans before the exerciseand as an Olympic Games competition once on site.

On the Web: www.deerhurstresort.com

The Rosseau. Watch this space for a new J WMarriott resort near Port Carling, opening later in theyear. The Rosseau will be the chain’s first property inthe region and promises to be quite spectacular.

Whatever the reason for visiting Muskoka, one thing iscertain, once is never enough and it’s almost guaranteedthat a return visit with the family or friends will be on thecards. Try going once each season, and enjoy everythingthat a true year round destination has to offer.

Jyl Ashton Cunningham, CMP is Associate Editor, Ontario for The

Planner and owner of JAAC Meetings and Events By Design. Jyl wel-

comes your comments and can be reached at [email protected] or

[email protected].

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1


Less is better when it comes to exhibits

When it comes to creating a pow-erful exhibit, the old saying “less

is better” has never been truer.Exhibitors have a tendency to simplyput too much into their display. Theymistakenly assume that they need totell everyone everything as quickly aspossible and their back wall ends up

looking like a brochure. Let’s take a step back and lookat the problem and see if there isn’t a better solution.

The first thing is to focus on the people that you aredesigning for – the visitors. Put yourself in their posi-tion: you chose to go to the show for a number of rea-sons. Likely at the top of the list was to see new prod-ucts and services and learn about new tools and tech-nologies. That’s good and bad news. The good news isthat as a visitor, if you have chosen the show well, youhave an excellent chance of learning and seeing lots ofnew products. The bad news is that there is simply toomany. It’s like drinking from a fire-hose. Eventuallyyour brain shuts down and you can’t take in additionalinformation. You will suffer from information overload.

Now let’s look at this from your point of view as theexhibitor. When your display tries to say too much youare compounding the effects of information overload.The trick is to say enough to get the visitor’s attentionand once they have stopped at your booth, yourboothers do the rest. This is when “less is better” comesinto play. Here are some of the things to look at:

GRAPHICSDisplays that are filled with photos don’t work. They

add to the confusion. Sure some people will stop by andperuse your photo gallery, but most will simply walkby. It’s like bringing baby pictures to a dinner party.The guests will be patient and polite but sooner or laterthey start to yawn. One good photo that whets theirappetite is worth more than 1,000 that puts them tosleep – less is better.

WORDSHow much can you possibly tell people on a sign?

Remember that visitors in addition to having too muchinformation also have sore feet and are probably tiredfrom holding their bag of brochures and give awayitems. Asking them to stand and read all your informa-tion is not a reasonable thing to do – less is better.

PRODUCTSWhile it’s true that visitors want to see real products

rather than photos, you don’t need to have them all.Bring the newest product which becomes the focalpoint in the booth and perhaps a few representativesamples of other products and that’s all – less is better.

PEOPLEToo many people in your booth can also be disas-

trous. It makes approaching your display intimidatingand many visitors will simply walk by. There is a ruleof thumb in the exhibition industry that states that everystaff person requires 50 square feet of unoccupiedspace. That means for a 10’ X 10’ booth you need twopeople. For a 10’ X 20’ you don’t need four – only three.This is because the more space you add, the greater thetendency to occupy it with inanimate objects – displays,products, etc. So, balance the number of people youhave working in your display with the amount of spaceyou have available – less in better.

Before you put your next display together take amoment and step back and ask yourself, “Is this displayattracting attention or adding to the confusion?” If youranswer is the latter, you now have four areas you canexamine that will increase your display’s impact.

On the Web: www.siskindtraining.com

BY BARRY SISKIND

In this series of articles, InfoComm AV instructorPhilippe Kwon (Inland AV; Winnipeg) addresses audiovisual questions sent in by event planners. To submit aquestion on a particular issue, email Philippe [email protected].

Video and computer switchingGertrud Jeewanjee, Meetings Coordinator for the

Canadian Mathematical Society in Ottawa recentlyasked this question:

“I have used a multimedia projector with a laptop todo Powerpoint presentations. What are some issues thatI should know about when I want to switch between acouple of different presentation devices; such as a laptopand a DVD player?”

Presentations today can involve a number of differentvideo sources such as: DVD, HD DVD, Blu-Ray, VHS,document cameras, video cameras and different types of computers. Switching between the different sourcesand formats without fumbling around, connecting anddisconnecting the different sources, distracting youraudience and wasting their time during the presentationis a very important issue.

In a small workshop presentation environment, it iscommon to connect a laptop directly to the data inputon the multimedia projector and a video player directlyto the video input on the projector. Switching betweenthe two inputs is usually done with the projector remoteor, in some cases, via the input controls on the projec-tor itself.

Switching on the projector is possible because thepresenter is usually within the working range of theremote control (about 20-30 feet); or the presenter isclose enough to the projector that they can manuallyswitch on the projector.

While this is a viable way to switch two sources, theimage on the screen may be momentarily blank or haveflickering horizontal lines; as the projector adjusts to thenew source format.

In a larger presentation environment, a number of fac-tors affect the ability to switch sources on the projector.The use of a larger screen for a larger audience oftenincreases the projector distance from the screen. In thiscase, the presenter may be outside the working range ofthe remote control or not close enough to the projectorto switch manually.

Most remote control units use infrared technology.This line of sight technology can be blocked by a phys-ical barrier. In the case of a larger room and audience,there is a greater likelihood of a person or object block-ing the infrared path between the presenter and projec-tor when trying to switch sources.

In some cases, the projector is suspended from theceiling. This makes it impossible to switch sources onthe projector and very often puts the projector out ofthe range of the remote control. Similarly, projectingfrom the rear of the screen also causes the projector tobe inaccessible.

In large plenary sessions and awards shows, it is com-mon for an AV technician to operate and switch the var-ious video and computer sources. In this type of sce-nario, the sources (video players, live video camera feedsand computers) are located at the AV technician’s table;along with the necessary switching device. The outputof the switching device is then sent to the projector.

There are a number of different types of switchersavailable. A video switcher is used where only videosources need to be switched. This allows switchingbetween DVD, VHS, satellite and video cameras. If mul-tiple computers are being used and there are no videosources, a computer switcher is the appropriate choice.


ASK THE A/V EXPERT

The multitude of peripherals that can be used in a show today makes it imperative that you know your equipment.


Where there is a combination of computer (data) andvideo sources that need to be switched, a multi-formatswitcher is required. Video and data sources are verydifferent types of signal. They are like two people thatspeak different languages. The only way they canunderstand each other is with the use of a translator. Inthe case of video and data sources, the translator we useis called a scaler. The scaler will convert the videosources to the higher resolution used by the datasources. The switcher is then able to easily switchbetween the various sources.

Sophisticated switchers also allow for transitioneffects to be a part of the switching process.

Transitions include switching choices such as crossfades, wipes, dissolves, picture in picture and titling.While historically found in video switchers, multi-formatswitchers have also adopted these types of switchingeffects. These effects provide a much smoother changebetween sources than the basic cut experienced whenswitching sources on a projector.

Furthermore, unpleasant blanking or horizontal flick-ering problems are not an issue with these higher qual-ity switching devices.

Discussing your presentation switching needs with an audiovisual professional will provide you with theavailable options and the right solution for your application.

Sophisticated switchers also allow for transition effects to be a part of the switching process, such as cross fades and wipes.


My magic moment waswhen I was with a group in

Vancouver. We were staying at theBayshore Hotel and the day was magnificent. I love

taking pictures, and the spot where the hotel was located wasideal. I wanted to take pictures, but I needed a much higherpoint to take better shots. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I con-tacted the GM of the hotel, and explained to him what I want-ed to do. With a big smile on his face, he took me to thehighest room of the hotel, where the view was spectacular. I took wonderful shots of the city, the harbour and the moun-tains on a beautiful autumn day. I hang these pictures in myhouse, and each time they bring back warm memories. Thatwas my magic moment!

Josée LessardMetro Inc.

Montréal, Quebec

One thing I have never forgotten happened when I wasconducting a site inspection of a hotel many years ago. I tendto be very thorough when doing these things, checking meet-ing space and bedrooms out thoroughly from top to bottom.Can you imagine my surprise and amazement when oncechecking under a bed for cleanliness in one of the rooms andfound a tent card signed by the general manager that said,“Yes, I check here too!”

Chuck E. Schouwerwou, CMPConferSense Planners Inc.

Ottawa, Ontario

I won a trip to Montebello, Quebec for two for a weekend.I decided to take my granddaughter Chantel who was 18 andgetting ready to go to University in September. We had a greattime! The best part was when we went dog sledding… shewrapped her arms around me and said, “Nana, what would Iever do without you, I love you not just for taking me herebut just for being you.” This is a memory I will never forget.With the river frozen, the light snow trickling down, lights allaround the hotel and my Chantel holding her Nana in her

arms, this was the besttime of my life. This touched my heart in such a way that evenpictures will never be able to tell how I felt. That was a MagicMoment.

Darlene MawbeyAjilon ConsultingToronto, Ontario

While visiting a conference in St John’s, Newfoundland, mycamera battery died. It takes one of those strange sized bat-teries and I had no idea where to go to get a replacement.

As I wandered outside my hotel (The Delta), I saw a hotelemployee walking towards their car to head home. Figuringthat he might know, I asked him where to go.

His response: “Jump in the car and I’ll take you.” As a Torontonian, I was taken aback, (and possibly a littlecreeped out as well.) As I stammered about taking a taxi, heopened the door for me.

Not only did he drive me to a camera store, he waited forme to make the purchase and then drove me back to the Deltabefore heading home.

It made me realize that there really are good people outthere who are willing to put themselves out a bit when some-one needs a bit of help.

Chris MacKechnieSlingshot

Toronto, Ontario

The minute I received your e-mail, I thought this was sucha great idea!

I did not have to think very long to find my most magicalmoment — it happened a few years ago in Cannes, France. A group of us arrived at the Intercontinental Carlton Hotelbeautifully situated on La Croisette in Cannes. We were verytired from the overnight flight to Paris and the three-hour waitfor our connecting flight to Nice Airport. Then the helicoptertransfer, which was magnificent, over to Cannes. Then finally,the shuttle service over to the hotel. Upon arrival at the hotel,the director of sales, Verena Kuhn, had kindly arranged for in-room check-in. Five minutes after closing the door and wash-ing my hands, there was a knock at the door. A delightfulFrench waitress arrives with a tray beautifully accented with


a fresh rose, a largebottle of Evian, a basket of petite French breads with freshchurned butter, and the most delicious vegetable lasagna Ihave ever tasted. I was fortunate to be accommodated in asea-view room where you could see the sun glistening on thewaters of the Mediterranean (even though it was earlyDecember). I opened the balcony doors and inhaled the scentof the sea, then sat in a comfy armchair where I enjoyed this exquisite meal looking out at the magnificent view. This definitely was my most magical personal moment as ameeting and incentive planner.

Flavia St.ClairExclusive Travels international

Burlington, Ontario

This occurred a number of years ago when I was with theCanadian Shipbuilding Association in Ottawa. We were hold-ing our Annual Technical Conference and Trade Show at thethen Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. I had been runningfull out, as you can imagine, and was seated with a numberof our Directors at the Banquet. The Banquet Captain con-firmed with me in advance where I would be seated. At thattime the Queen Elizabeth Hotel had, by far, the best clamchowder anywhere and they new how much I loved it. Wellimagine my surprise when, after serving the others the cho-sen soup, I was served a bowl of their famous clam chowder.Then to top it off, when the tea and coffee was served theyput a small container of honey beside my tea. They remem-bered that I take my tea with honey.

I can tell you that my table mates were as impressed as I wasand not in the least offended. That was many years ago but it isone of those memories that brings a smile even on tough days.

Joy MacPhersonPetroleum Research Atlantic Canada

Halifax, Nova Scotia

A number of years ago, I was planning a small nationalconference at the Ocean Pointe Resort (now the Delta VictoriaOcean Pointe Resort) in Victoria, BC. Even though we wereonly a group of about 150, the staff at the hotel made us feelthat we were their only guests. Not only did we have noissues with hosting several diplomatic VIPS, but the small

t o u c h e swere fabulous. Onthe night of our wrap-upbanquet in their main ballroom, westarted our evening festivities with a localcomedienne who was an excellent impersonator ofQueen Elizabeth II.

Once she was finished her wanderings through the audience, the staff started serving the excellent meal. Ourmain entertainment for that evening were the CowichanTzinquaw Dancers. As they started their performance, thebanquet captain slowly lowered the lights and quietly openedthe curtains that covered the floor to ceiling windows at theback of the ballroom.

The low lights, the moonlight and city lights sparkling off of Victoria’s inner harbour, combined with the culturalsharing taking place made the event and time stand still.Before we knew it, an hour had passed and the dancers hadto depart. Our delegates from across Canada and our fewinternational guests, still comment on that magical moment(as do I as I now know that this event was a great success!).

Michael TryonCanadian Planning Solutions

Edmonton, Alberta

One of my magical moments – there have been many – butthis one stands out. Many years ago I was able to talk a clientinto changing his dates so that he could experience theChâteau Frontenac in Quebec City. It was a dealer meetingand there were over 150 of the top dealers from acrossCanada. The client and myself were thrilled to see uponarrival the company flag flying from one of the masts at theentrance to the hotel. Now that made us feel special!

Anne-Marie de LavisonPlanet Meetings & Incentives

Mississauga, Ontario

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14


I had been invitedin 2003 to present at the CSAE

Conference which was held at the Hilton Lac Lemay.I checked in at around 16h00 and was absolutely pleased withmy room which faced the Lac Lemay. As an added bonus, I waslucky enough to have the opportunity to see the beautiful fire-works that evening from my bay window in my room while hav-ing my room service meal (which was excellent). Italy was thecountry showing fireworks that evening and it was breathtaking.All the music associated with the fireworks was available on theTV through a local channel. It was a memorable moment that hasstayed with me since that time.

Sylvie PaquetteCAE

Ottawa, Ontario

On the first day of our annual conference at TheBroadmoor in Colorado Springs last fall, one of our delegatesshowed up late to our opening reception stressed and inpanic because his luggage didn’t arrive and he had lost hiswallet and therefore couldn’t check into the hotel. Our angelof a conference manager immediately had him checked in andalso provided him with a new shirt to go to dinner in.

She thenmade a quick phone call toher contact at the airline and his luggagewas delivered within the hour. And just when we thoughtshe’d pulled out all the stops, she grabbed a flashlight andheaded out to our delegate’s rental car to search for his wallet– which she found. It’s this type of incredible service thatbrought us back to the hotel for a second time.

Sherri SheneyNDMAC

Ottawa, Ontario

I had a magical moment at the Halifax MarriottHarbourfront Hotel. It was during my conference and I wasjust heading into my Annual Meeting when the heel of myshoe broke right off! We tried to get the shoe fixed at the localshoe repair who said it would be ready in a week. When wetold our wonderful conference services manager, she took myshoe to engineering at the hotel and had it fixed immediately!It was an unbelievable moment that I will never forget!

Suzanne ScottFSAC

Aurora, Ontario


How to choose a digital camera BY LEO GERVAIS

The revolution we haveseen in photography in

the past 10 years is trulyastounding. Gone are thedays of bringing film to thephoto lab, only to realizeyou cropped out Uncle Ed’shead with your thumb inthat cozy family picture.

Now, you can have themprinted at Wal-Mart aftersending your digital picsinstantly over the Internet,burn them on CDs and, best of all, delete any bad shotsyou take and start over again. The death knell for old-style cameras was when the prices dropped enough tojustify the new technology.

MEGAPIXELS AND MEMORY CARDSDigital still cameras are cameras whose primary pur-

pose is to capture photography in a digital format.Initially, a digital camera was characterized by the useof flash memory and USB or FireWire for storage andtransfer of still photographs (though some early cam-eras used a serial port connection), and this is still thecommon meaning of the unadorned term.

In the past five years, the price per megapixel hasdropped from about $100 to $50. (Megapixels are theproduct of the cameras maximum resolution dimensionsin millions – don’t go under five megapixels if you wantquality 8 x 10 prints). In addition the lens quality onpoint-and-shoot cameras across the board is excellent.Look for lenses with optical zoom, which moves youcloser to the subject without sacrificing quality.

One thing to seriously consider is a good memorycard, and the selection has gotten better and cheaper. Atwo-gigabyte card will yield about 800 high-quality pic-tures or 16 minutes of good video. The Secure Digital(SD) format is increasingly the industry standard; and acard sells for about $30.

In terms of video, most point and shoots have videocapability. If you plan to use it, look for at least 30frames per second at 640 x 480 resolution, and a micro-phone for sound.

The one serious knock on digital cameras is the lagtime between shots – up to two seconds, more if youare using zoom. Serious action shooters should consider entry-level SLRs (Single Lens Reflex), and these

often can use lenses fromyour old regular SLR cam-eras.

The experience of whatto buy is driven primarilyby two factors: Taste andprice. The guiding factorswhen buying a camerashould be the following:

• What will you be tak-ing pictures of?

• Do you want to shootvideo as well?

• Is it for amateur orprofessional use?

• What can you afford?

There are literally dozens of choices out there, soread up on the various brands like Canon, Fujifilm,Kodak, and Nikon in publications such as ConsumerReports. If you are considering buying one, I stronglysuggest you speak to people who use digital cameras aswell as experts who sell them – this is one area whereyou definitely want to do your homework before drop-ping several hundred dollars.

Here are a few cameras recently recommended byFortune magazine:

Under $300Fujifilm Finepix F31FDFeatures: great image quality, superior low-light per-formance

Under $500Canon S5 IS Features: 12 X optical zoom, big LCD screen

Under $800Nikon D40XFeatures: Lightning fast response, 10.2 megapixels

So be sure to compare models and prices and eventry out a few models to see how you like them. It’s timeto join the digital camera crowd!

On the Web:www.dpreview.comwww.dcviews.comwww.digitalcamera-hq.com/digital-cameras

Do your research when looking to buy a digital camera.

Just saying the word ‘fear’ canstrike a cord of uneasiness in even

the most confident person. Perhapsyou can relate to some of the followingtypical fears that people experience?

• Speaking in public• Flying• Falling in love• Looking stupid in front of others• Changing careers or making any change• Growing old• Saying the wrong thing and looking foolish• Wearing the wrong outfit and looking unfashionable• Sending the kids to the wrong school or even worse,

being a bad parent• People finding out that you are actually a fraud• Disappointing someone you love• Dying

CONQUERING FEAR CAN INCLUDE CHANGINGYOUR ATTITUDE

Do you remember past times when you were fearfulof something, but once that situation passed you won-dered what it was that had held a grip of fear over youin the first place?

Recently I had a coaching client – let’s call him Dave— who was afraid of having a meeting with his boss.Dave was concerned that when he next met with hissuperior there was going to be a painful outcome fromtheir interaction. We examined what was the worstthing that could result and the best answer he couldcome up with was that his boss would fire him.

Now this was his first thought, but after some conver-sation he realized that this was very unlikely, based onwhat their conversation was going to be dealing with.However, this is what first came to mind. This is notunlike how many of us think at first blush; we often fearthe worse.

We then looked at other possible scenarios to uncoverall the hidden fears of repercussions that might ensue.Each time we did so, Dave became the first one to saythat each thought was redundant. Soon, he was muchcalmer about the prospect of his meeting.

Next I had him set an intention of how he wantedthis meeting to go. Realizing that there were going to betwo people in the room, he could only control hisactions, thoughts and beliefs.

He decided that no matter what his boss said, Davewould be calm, collected and cool.

He was to bring a much more positive energy to theengagement, which was a considerably better attitudethan he was first prepared for.

When we next spoke, post meeting, he recanted theincident and was delighted to confirm that the meetinghad gone very well. What was bothering him now wasthat he couldn’t believe how much he had feared thismeeting only days earlier. In fact, he had been throughthis type of thing before where he had feared some-thing or someone, only to find out later that there wasnothing to worry about in the first place. He isn’t theonly one to feel this way; can anyone relate to this sit-uation? Do we learn our lesson? Not always.

IS THERE A COST TO BEING FEARFUL?Absolutely! One of the biggest things that fear can do

is to cause us to be paralyzed and not move through it.When we do this we can miss out on so many things,such as opportunities that we are not aware of, beingalone, staying afraid and not living life to the fullest.

Not only that, but we can miss out on living to ourhighest potential and also blessing the lives of others.

Susan Jeffers, in her book Feel the Fear And Do ItAnyway asserts that fear is primarily an educationalproblem. That if we can reeducate our minds we canaccept that fear is a fact of life rather than a barrier.

My little niece turned 8 last year and was to be bap-tized into her church by being totally immersed inwater. This is a young girl who loves to swim and ispretty fearless as far as I am concerned. However, hear-ing everyone talk about how nervous she must be, shewas all of a sudden overtaken by fear of the water. I thought it amazing how quickly we can take on otherpeoples fear for ourselves.

HOW TO CONQUER FEARSo much has been written or discussed concerning this

question. I know I have had numerous conversations withmy coaching clients on this very subject. To silence fear itis important to take action. What action? Well there is noone action for everyone as we all experience fear on manydifferent levels and over many varied areas of our lives.

Sometimes it is a case of becoming very present as towhat your fear is and examining if it is based on realityor on what you are only imagining, and then possiblyblowing out of proportion.


False Evidence Appearing RealBY SHARON WORSLEY



WestJet sets anotherrecord in February

Calgary-based passenger airlineoperator WestJet reported a recordload factor — or percentage of seatsfilled — for February of 82.8 per centdespite “challenging winter weather.”

The airline reported that itscapacity grew 18.2 per cent and revenue passenger miles — a meas-ure of passenger traffic — were up19 per cent.

“Our seasonal capacity deploy-ment strategy, strong sales forWestJet Vacations, growing networkconnectivity and continued focus ondelivering an exceptional guestexperience are key factors inWestJet's leading, and continuallyimproving, performance,” presidentand CEO Sean Durfy said in a pressrelease.

“Through the challenging winterweather, our WestJetters deliveredrecord results demonstrating thattheir commitment to our great guestservice remains as strong as ever. I am proud of our culture and each‘WestJetter’ who lives our valuesdaily.”

On the Web: www.westjet.com

Travellers to DominicanRepublic warned

Although the Canadian ForeignAffairs and International Tradedepartment has not issued an offi-cial warning about the DominicanRepublic, they do recommend thattravellers “Exercise (a) high degreeof caution” because the crime ratehas increased, especially pick pock-eting which is common in urbanareas. Thefts have also been reportedin some resorts. Canadians shouldexercise caution and be aware of their surroundings, especiallyafter dark.

Thefts of items from checked bag-gage at airports, particularly inPuerto Plateau, has recentlyincreased. Thefts are reported mostfrequently on departure. Money andpersonal items are sometimes stolenfrom carry-on luggage while trav-ellers are going through securitychecks. Do not pack valuable itemsin your checked luggage.

Unaccompanied female travellersshould exercise caution in dealingwith strangers or recent acquain-tances. especially regarding theacceptance of rides or other invita-tions. The Tourist Police (POLITUR)can provide assistance to tourists.They can be reached at 809-686-8639 or toll free at 1-200-3500.

They recommend official registra-tion, a service they provide so thatthey can contact and assist you in anemergency in a foreign country,such as a natural disaster or civilunrest, or inform you of an emer-gency back home.

Registration can be completed on-line or by contacting a Canadiangovernment office abroad.

On the Web: www.voyage.gc.ca

Ovation and DMC network in global alliance

Ireland’s Ovation Global DMCand North American-headquarteredDMC Network have announced aglobal alliance, which together willoffer DMC delivery in more than 60destinations across the US, Canada.Europe and the Middle East.

On the Web: www.ovation.ie

> Industry News


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Centre Mont-Royal introduces Theatre SymposiaA grand, state-of the art 730 fixed

seat venue for your next seminar, concert, film premier, fashion show, awards

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For myself, I had always had a fear of heights andrecently I had the chance to overcome that fear while Iwas visiting the Grand Canyon. The Hualapai Indianshave something called a ‘Skywalk’ which is essentiallya glass-bottomed, semicircular bridge that stands 4,000feet over a cliff of the canyon. For $20, I got to walkaround this glass enclosure and finally overcome thisfear once and for all. What a bargain.

Now this might seem somewhat radical to some people but by taking this massive action I was able tomove past this fear. Was it easy? Oh no, there weresome moments of heart palpitations and beads of sweatuntil I got about halfway. Once there, I realized that thiswas a safe structure that had already carried the weightof thousands of people without losing a single soul. Itthen became easier to complete my little journey.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT…Think for a minute what you fear… is it based on

reality? If you imagined the worst possible scenario, isit really that bad? Are you prepared to walk throughthat fear to the other side?

Sometimes it is all about shining a light on the dark-ness of fear and bringing it into perspective. Think about a similar experience you have gonethrough previously and what eventuated. Was it reallyas bad as you feared?

Sharon Worsley, CEO of Live With Intent, is a personal leadership

coach and motivational speaker. Her signature keynote ‘Live By

Choice, Not By Chance’ assists individuals and organizations to become

clear on how they can ensure the quality of their life or organization.

Sharon can be reached at [email protected].

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

Are you prepared towalk through your fear

to the other side?

The Grand Canyon Skywalk solved Sharon’s fear of heights.


BY CYNTHIA FELL

N eed to break out of the restaurant rut? Want anotheroption rather than the old stand-bys? Toronto’s

restaurant scene is always a flurry of activity. The catchis being the centre of the activity rather than being sweptaway by it. We asked Cynthia Fell of Dining Events toprovide us with a list of sumptuous places to dine inCanada’s biggest city. Here are some new places that aremaking a buzz in the city these days...

C5 or Crystal Five is located on the fifth floor of theROM’s Michael Lee-Chin Crystal; the forefront of thecultural renaissance taking place in Toronto. ChefTeddy Corrado’s cuisine is described as a variety ofmodern international and he serves up exhibits as grandas those found in the museum. The restaurant can comfortably sit up to 120 people for a seated dinner or140 for a cocktail reception, all five stories above themuseum and Bloor’s busy street-life. C5 is a winningcombination of culture and food, suitable for upscaleevents and receptions alike.

Jacobs & Co. Steakhouse is located on Brant Streetat King Street West, the newest entry from the peoplewho brought you Brassaii and Brant House. This is notyour Father’s steak-house; the selection, cuts and gradessatisfy even the finickiest of steak-lover’s taste. Beforeyour steak dinner, your guests can enjoy the lower levelpiano bar before proceeding to the main dining area.Off the main dining room there is a bar and lounge areawith a private dining room. The private dining room canbe divided into two smaller rooms for seating 14 guestseach. Jacobs & Co Steakhouse is the latest entry in thesizzling hot King-Bathurst restaurant and bar scene andis perfect for an event that needs a splash of the mod-ern while balancing the classic.

Across the street from the Flat Iron building and stepsfrom the financial district is Lucien. Nestled in a build-ing built in 1862, chef Scot Woods, (ex-executive chef ofHabitat Restaurant) serves his international cuisine byintroducing modernity to the classics using only thefinest in local produce. The granite bar can seat 15 andruns along the east side of the space while the restau-rant can seat 50. Intimate but not pretentious, Lucienworks well for those looking to find hidden treasuresand believe that great things come in small packages.

Rising like a phoenix from the flame, Sassafraz,located in the heart of Yorkville, has returned from its2007 fire and reclaimed its position as one of the insti-tutions in the Toronto restaurant scene. Chef BradleyMacdonald offers a menu of contemporary Canadiandishes based in French cuisine. A new rooftop patiobrings the seating capacity of this restaurant to 350 withlate night dining until 2 a.m. seven days a week. Anideal location for your group to experience the essenceof Toronto and, who knows, you just may spot acelebrity having a nightcap!

Are you looking to rock ’n’ roll with your group?Look no further than Tattoo Rock Parlour at QueenStreet West and Spadina: Toronto’s only live rock n’roll/DJ venue with a tattoo shop. The Ultra SupperClub’s executive chef, Chris Zilewski, serves classic high-end pub fare. The first floor comfortably seats 100 andhas a reception capacity of 300. The VIP Lounge on thelower level has its own private entrance, fireplace andbar with reception capacity of 140. Entertain your largecrowds looking for a wild time at this location butremember: drinking with discretion is always recom-mended, but especially with a tattoo parlour on thepremises!

Cynthia Fell is the president of Ding Events. She can be reached at:

[email protected] or 416-516-2994. Bon appetit!

Get the scoop on TO’s hot restos


Golf tourneys are good and serious businessEd. Note: The Planner asked the pros

at the Deerhurst Resort to provide uswith an article that could benefit planners with their years of experience.

It’s no secret that lots of business takesplace on the golf course, or that golf eventsare great for building relationships.

“Hosting a good tournament is actual-ly a lot like planning a wedding,” saidDeerhurst Resort Director of Sales &Marketing Clee Varon. “There are plen-ty of important details to organize anddifferent people to consider, even giftsto buy. Expectations are high and every-one wants a great day.”

1. KNOW YOUR SCOREWhether it’s a day outing or part of a larger meeting,

think about what your goals are for the golf event, whatkind of feel you want it to have, potential dates androughly how many guests you plan on, since all of thatplays a role in picking the right course. Budget may alsoimpact your selection since costs often vary significantlyfrom course to course.

“But don’t skip a location just because you think itlooks expensive,” notes Simon Bevan, Deerhurst’sDirector of Golf. It’s also beneficial to look for resorts,like Deerhurst, that have two courses so you can hostmore people, split your group or cater to different skilllevels.

2. ASK FOR HELPSome courses provide on-site tournament organizers,

qualified professionals who will make recommenda-tions and run all the details of your tournament on acomplimentary basis. And make sure you have a com-mittee or plenty of volunteers with clear tasks.

“Delegate, don’t think you can do it all,” cautionsDeerhurst Director of Conference Services Kari McLean.“You want to be able to focus on your attendees, notthe signage on the first hole.”

3. START FRESHThe best-attended tournaments start with a great invi-

tation, according to Deerhurst’s Marketing ManagerLaura Kennedy. Include the day’s schedule and thedress code and be sure to highlight any key prizes andthe golf course’s website. Having all the necessary infor-mation at their fingertips pre-event and at the start ofthe day also helps less familiar golfers relax and enjoy.

4. SWITCH THINGS UPMore and more corporate events

include a group warm-up at the golfacademy. A popular format is a ‘Walk theLine’ where instructors walk the range asplayers practice, sharing customized tipswith each. If your group is largely new togolf, consider a Golf 101 session with eti-quette, swing, drive and putt stations plusgolf stretches or on-course massagechairs for extra fun. Or if time is reallytight, look at a Happy Hour Golf Clinicwith 45-minutes on the range followedby a cocktail hour.

5. FOLLOW THROUGHGolf shirts, signage, sleeves of balls in

the carts, games at the holes, food and drink on thecourse – these finishing touches are as important as thegame for many of your guests. So take the time to makeyour tournament unique and cover all the details.

A FEW OTHER TIPS• Locate a quality course that is accessible and that

will work with you regardless of your golf experienceand be attractive to players.

• Have lots of special hole competitions with prizesfor closest to the pin on a par 3, longest drive, hole-in-one and the straightest drive to even things up. Travelagents and auto dealers are often willing to sponsorhole-in-one contests.

• At registration, think about doing a “golfers’ sur-vival kit” as a gift bag – bottled water, snack, golf ballsand tees, sunscreen or bug spray and a shirt or jacket.For one-stop-shopping, most pro shops can provide allof these items with group savings of 25 to 35 percentoff retail.

• Post the score sheets at the hotel afterward, whereeveryone can see them. Odds are the meeting-goerswho didn’t play will say, “Hey, that looks like fun, weneed to get into that next year.”

Deerhurst is home to two 18-hole golf courses,including Deerhurst Highlands, forerunner ofMuskoka’s emergence as a major golf destination, plusa comprehensive golf academy led by one of Canada’sTop 50 golf instructors. It’s also a 400-room conferenceresort that welcomes major golf events like “Good asGold,” a celebrity fundraiser for the Canadian NationalWomen’s Hockey team.

On the Web: www.deerhurstresort.com


HALIFAX HOTEL GARNERS AWARDThe Westin Nova Scotian has won a Reader’s Choice

Award in Meetings and Incentive Travel Magazine’s(M&IT) Eighth Annual Reader's Choice Awards. Votedupon by meeting planners, this is the second time inthree years the hotel has been honoured with this dis-tinction. This also marks the third year in a row theWestin Nova Scotian has ranked as the number onehotel in Halifax.

The Readers Choice Awards are among the mostprestigious meeting awards in Canada, as readers areasked to name a property that has exceeded theirexpectations in 2007, without a list to choose from.

“What wonderful recognition this is,” said GuidoKerpel, general manager of the Westin Nova Scotian.“It’s very rewarding to see that the effort our team putsinto providing excellent service and building strongrelationships with clients is recognized.”

The full list of winners is available in theJanuary/February issues of M&IT.

On the Web: www.westin.ns.ca

STARWOOD TO EXPAND GLOBALLYStarwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. antici-

pates another year of extraordinary growth in 2008,building on the company's record-setting success in 2007. Early this year Starwood will mark amilestone with the opening of its 900th hotel. Starwoodexpects to increase its portfolio by 50 percent over thenext five years, driven by aggressive global expansionacross all its brands and the unprecedented growth ofits two new brands, Aloft and Element, which bothexpect to open their first hotels this year.

Starwood’s active pipeline includes 500 hotels and120,000 rooms. Approximately half of Starwood’s newhotels are expected to open outside of North America.

On the Web: www.starwood.com

Hotel News

ANSWER EASYSUDOKU FROM PAGE 22

ANSWER MEDIUM SUDOKU FROM PAGE 22


Creating gender-friendly events

How to accommodatethe opposite sex atyour conference

With the continuing upward spiral of women moving into high-level positions in the work-

place, many corporate events are taking the plunge intopreviously un-chartered waters regarding customerappreciation days, employee incentives and spousalprograms. Even male dominated industries, (accordingto a recent Financial Times article on attracting womenexecutives to events) are acknowledging the increasingdemand for less visits to the corporate box at the hockeyarena, and more female-friendly employee incentives.

It’s not just about male/female employees however.Corporations are becoming increasingly attuned to invitingspouses and families, to accompany employees on multi-day and out of town conferences. Including the family is awin-win innovation for all kinds of reasons, such as:

• Events can take place over weekends, which areoften considered off-peak for conference destinations,so savings in the budget can accommodate more forprogramming.

• Room rates are generally the same price for singleor double occupancy, with the only additional expensebeing for meals and entertainment.

• Spouses aren’t left behind, so may be less inclinedto guilt-trip the employee into not attending, resultingin lower family stress which leads to higher work performance and improved employee retention.

Deciding on gender-neutral extra-curricular activitiescan be a little overwhelming, with so many choices onthe market. The key, as always, is to consider the objec-tives, keep an open mind and only be limited by theimagination. I was recently driving through Toronto andpassed a defensive driving school with a slick skidpatch. At the time (and with my eyes back on the road),I added a defensive driving course to the mental bankof “Things I would Like to Do when I Have More Time.”As often happens in the meeting planner brain, thethought became an idea for a valuable tool to use whenconsidering conference extra-curricular activities.

The idea developed and opened up a myriad of otherrealistic “How To” programs, that would also enhancethe lives of participants and address the issue of neverseeming to have enough time.

CONSIDER THE OBJECTIVES OF YOUR SESSIONSAs an exercise, try making a list of interesting

projects that can be presented by an expert in a coupleof hours and which always seem to be pushed to theback burner in your own world. Personal favouritesinclude: defensive driving course; understanding whatis under the hood of your car besides the window washertank; how to get 50 minutes a day of exercise into acrazy schedule; how to plant a garden that flowersthrough the season and how to make time for yourselfwithout feeling guilty. All these choices are interactiveoptions, with plenty of potential for both demonstra-tions and hands-on participation.

On considering the objectives that such sessionsmight address, the ones that spring to mind would be:Time Management, Work Life Balance, Teambuildingand Getting The Best from Employees. A concise andcreatively designed survey of delegates and guestscould ask for a wish list of the top three things theywould like to do if they had the time (or the money ifbudget is not an issue), then compile a selection fromthe most popular.

If it has been determined that guests prefer beingpampered, rather than being engaged in an educationalor interactive option, make sure that everyone can haveequal opportunity for the experience. Spa visits are apopular choice, however many hotel spas can generallyonly accommodate a handful of people at one time,resulting in many guests being disappointed if they cannot be accommodated. When offering spa options,consider building customized treatment programs(designed by the spa), in one or two hour time slots, sothat as many people as possible can participate.

For the most part, programs that educate, as well asproviding entertainment value, are generally consideredmore rewarding and memorable and a reason they arenot more popular is possibly because they may not beoffered in the first place. For example, a typical visit toa high-end department store outside opening hoursmight include breakfast and an hour with a personalshopper. By adding a half-hour presentation onwardrobe management, sustainable fabrics and sociallyresponsible designers, from both male and female per-spectives, the participant comes away with much morethan a colour combination chart and a lighter wallet. A cooking class featuring international cuisine becomesa true culinary experience with a brief introduction tothe country and a take-away basket of the dry ingredi-ents used, a bottle of wine and a recipe book.

BY JYL ASHTON CUNNINGHAM, CMP



While the golf course has tradi-tionally been considered a male net-working environment, a recent visitto a driving range proved very muchotherwise, as a mixed gender groupparticipated in a golf clinic. From afemale perspective, it may havehelped somewhat that the male golfpro was pretty easy on the eye,however the most interesting aspectwas watching the personality traitsthat ensued between the sexes. The men were kings of theirdomain, mostly experienced golfersand anxious not to show themselvesup. The women on the other hand

(and this instance being largelynovice golfers), were receptive toadvice being offered, found humourin the situation when the golf ballwent astray and seemed morerelaxed as a result. At the end of thesession, the women came away witha much higher sense of achievementand claimed to have had more funthan their male counterparts, whojust wanted to hit the ball far andstraight.

Planning events for groups wherethe gender ratio is significantly high-er on either side can often prove achallenge. The secret is to find the

balance between acceptable practiceand gender-friendly activities and byleveling the proverbial playing fieldin as professional manner as possible.The intent is to have a productive andenjoyable event, without causingoffence or intimidation, which thesuggestions above should achieve injust about any corporate circum-stance.

• • •

Jyl Ashton Cunningham, CMP is owner of

JAAC Meetings and Events By Design, and

Associate Editor of The Planner, Ontario.

Jyl welcomes your comments and can be

reached at: [email protected].

> Trends 2008Green thought of

the monthHere are five easy ways to becomepart of the green movement:1. Turn off lights and air condi-tioning when you leave yourhotel room2. When dining out, choose localfoods produced in the area 3. Rent a hybrid or fuel-efficient car4. Use your hotel towels and linensmore than once5. Look for “green-certified” hotelsSuggestions? send to [email protected]

When gender ratios differ it can be a challenge

Weak dollar has an effectAccording to TripAdvisor, 41 per-

cent of Americans said theunfavourable exchange rates willkeep them at home this year. Byinference, Canadians with a strongerdollar will travel stateside more thisyear. More importantly, hotels willbe more open to negotiate, so don’tbe shy to ask for what you want.

If one hotel won’t give it to you,another will. For the Chinese, thismay be the Year of The Rat – for planners it will be the Year ofThe Ask.


You may have noticed a shift inrecent years in what it takes to

satisfy customers. Customers are nowmaking buying decisions less on the quality of an orga-nization’s products and services, and more on the qual-ity of the buying experience itself. If you’re a businessowner or manager, this trend offers both risk andopportunity. To ensure that your organization profitsfrom this shift in customer loyalty, consider a recent history of buying behaviors…

WHY QUALITY IS NO LONGER TOP OF MINDWhen it came to satisfying customers in the era imme-

diately following World War II, no one could beat theUSA. With the development of the atomic bomb theyhad demonstrated that they had the most advanced tech-nology on the planet. The fact that they had developedsuch a terrifyingly sophisticated product gave Americanbusinesses an unrivaled reputation for innovation. That reputation resulted in a ‘honeymoon’ demand forUS products that exploded throughout the 1950s.

Fast forward to the energy crises of the 1970s.People begin turning to smaller more fuel efficient vehi-cles made overseas. At first, the vehicles were perceivedto be of poorer quality. Yet, in Japan in particular theyembrace the concept of Kaizen – the practice of contin-uous improvement that had been introduced to them,ironically, by an American, W. Edwards Deming.Eventually, the quality of foreign vehicles and otherconsumer products – particularly electronic equipment– is perceived by consumers to be better that the stuffproduced in North America. Domestic manufacturersare forced to improve quality. So, throughout the 1980sand early 1990s, North American manufacturers join themovement towards “Total Quality.”

It works. Quality improves significantly. So much so,that now in the twenty first century, it’s not that con-sumers no longer care about the quality of manufacturedproducts – it’s that quality is now taken for granted.So much for products. Interestingly, the same assump-tion about quality also applies to services. Consider thefollowing…

WHY CREDENTIALS DON’T STAND OUTWhen it comes to hiring services, consumers now

simply take it as a given that the person is ‘qualified’ tobe providing the service.

When we call a company to send a plumber we don’task to screen candidates. We figure the person musthave some sort of a ‘ticket’ or the company wouldn’t behiring them. The teacher who instructs our children isassumed to have the proper certification. In otherwords, the technical capabilities of the person providingthe service is generally taken for granted.

Where we’ve ended up then, is a point where consumersnow assume that when they buy a product from any largewell-know manufacturer the product quality will be just fine.Or, if they use a service from any reasonably-sized firm theservice person will be technically competent. In otherwords, quality itself no longer impresses consumers asmuch as it used to. Meanwhile, there is something moreimportant that consumers are clamoring for.

WHAT CUSTOMERS WILL NOW PAY A PREMIUM FORConsumers want to be appreciated. They want

respect. They want it badly because in recent yearsthey’ve lost so much of it. They’ve gotten fed up withphoning a large company and being told to, “Press 1for… press 6 for …” (One of my seminar participantsdescribed this as being caught in “voice-mail-jail”).They’re tired of return policies that force them to findthe original packaging and paperwork, spend time andpostage, waiting and hoping.

To create loyal customers, business owners and man-agers need to recognize that your quality alone won’timpress people that much. As we pointed out, quality isnow assumed. Instead, there’s a huge opportunity tocreate loyalty when, in addition to solving the cus-tomer’s obvious immediate problem, you go the extrastep to make the buying experience more humane.That means a hassle-free buying experience, and com-petent service professionals that understand how theirproduct or service fits into the buying context of thecustomer. By context I mean how this purchase fits into the customer’s overall needs, and how this transac-tion must be impacting the customer’s day.

Bottom line: you may have reliable products and licensedservice providers, but the question customers really careabout now is, “What are you like to do business with?”

This article is based on the bestselling book, Becoming a Service

Icon in 90 Minutes a Month by customer service strategist and profes-

sional speaker Jeff Mowatt. To obtain your own copy of his book or to

inquire about engaging Jeff for your team, visit www.jeffmowatt.com or

call 1-800-JMowatt (566-9288).

Upcoming EventsMarch 9-12, 2008Association of Collegiate Conference and EventsDirectors-International, Annual Conference, RivieraHotel & Casino, Las Vegas. Contact: (877) 502-2233,www.acced-i.org

March 24 – Easter

March 27-30, 2008International Association of Conference Centers, AnnualConference, Zermatt Resort and Spa, Midway, Utah.Contact: (314) 993-85753, www.iacconline.org

April 6-9, 2008Society of Independent Show Organizers, Annual CEOSummit, The Vinoy Hotel, St. Petersburg, Florida. Contact:(708) 361-0900, www.siso.org.

April 18-20, 2008Meeting Professionals International, European Meetingsand Events Conference, ExCel London, London. Contact:(972) 702-3000, www.mpiweb.org.

April 22-24, 2008IMEX, Worldwide Exhibition for Incentive Travel,Meetings & Events, Messe Frankfurt, Germany. Contact:(011) 44-1273227311, www.imex-frankfurt.com.

May 11 – Mother’s Day

May 19 – Victoria Day

May 18-20, 2008Association of Corporate Travel Executives, globalConference, Grand Hyatt, Washington, D.C., Contact:(703) 683-5322, www.acte.org.

June 11-14, 2008Society of Government Meeting Professionals, AnnualEducation Conference, The Anatole Hotel, Dallas. Contact:(703) 549-0892, www.sgmp.org.

July 25-29, 2008International Association of Assembly Managers, AnnualConference & Trade Show, Anaheim (Calif.) ConventionCentre. Contact: (972) 906-7441, www.iaam.org.

July 27-30, 2008National Business Travel Association, AnnualInternational Convention & Exposition, Los AngelesConvention Centre. Contact: (703) 684-0836, www.nbta.org.

• • •


DD AATTEEBBOOOOKK

VenuesSurvey


1. What is the most unusual venue(s) in which you have held anevent? The Top 51. A navy submarine2. An airplane hangar3. In the desert4. A ranch5. On an aircraft carrier

2. Are restaurants your favouite off-site venues?Yes 34%No 66%

3. Have your event budgets increased, decreased or stayed thesame for 2008?Increased 32%Decreased 28%Stayed the same 40%

4. How do you go about finding new venues?*Colleagues 78%Planner Venues Guides 55%Other 53%*Note: Some respondents used more than one method.

We would like to thank Via Rail Canada for sponsor-ing this contest. Set the direction for your next businessmeeting by hosting it onboard VIA’s Priva chartered carservice.

On the Web: www.viarail.ca/priva

• • •

A help desk application with a difference

www.zendesk.com

Your company’s IT staff and everyone who uses a computer

in the office will love Zendesk. People log on to Zendesk

when there is a problem which generates a trouble ticket

which can be integrated with email, complete with attach-

ments tracked via RSS or tracked on the Zendesk site in a

browser. All tickets can be edited or annotated with com-

ments and organized in a variety of ways for easy tracking.

All ticket activity is tracked and easily audited. There is

also a variety of report tools that allow you to track your help

desk efficiency. There is a free version of Zendesk for

personal use, but most companies will have to sign up for

one of the paid packages offered by the company.

And now presenting...

www.presentationzen.com

As a general rule, most of us could use a little work in

improving our presentation skills. And we know when we are

watching a good presentation: It is entertaining, informative

and a pleasure to sit through. Now there’s a site that is dedi-

cated to helping people elevate their own presentation style to

a higher level. The site is a companion to a soon-to-be-pub-

lished book of the same name by Garr Reynolds. He discusses

the creation of the book and points out examples of sample

presentations online that he singles out as being exemplary. he

provides analyses of what makes these speeches work.

The style and content differ for the presentations, so not

only do you get to study how the various presenters perform

but you also learn something as well.

If you have a Website you think fellow planners mightfind useful, send us a note at: [email protected].

Websites of interest

march 2008

Documents

record profit

green trend

westjet soars

green theme

new program

green movementabout

cent meeting planner

pcmas2007 annual meeting