Convention Insider (Conventions.net)

I had a short trip out to Chicago on Saturday to speak at a social media event.  If you were paying attention with last week’s post you could have followed along with the hashtag #wcchicago.  They event was well attended nearly doubling the size of the attendees year over year.  They moved the event this year to The Chicago Merchandise Mart.

The facility was  very ominous as it sits on on the river in downtown Chicago.  The facility is described on their site.

The Merchandise Mart is the world’s largest commercial building, largest wholesale design center and one of Chicago’s premier international business locations. Encompassing 4.2 million gross square feet, The Mart spans two city blocks and rises 25 stories.

The Merchandise Mart became the world’s largest LEED-EB (Leadership in Energy and Environmental and Design for Existing Buildings) certified building in November 2007. LEED ^® certification is the nationally accepted bench mark for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings and is awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Today, The Merchandise Mart welcomes more than three million visitors each year to its retail shops, LuxeHome^® boutiques, 11 floors of permanent showrooms for gift, residential, casual and contract furnishings, 10 floors of office space, dozens of trade shows and a myriad of special educational, community and consumer events.

The epicenter for high design and luxury goods, The Merchandise Mart is located in the heart of a city that is home to prestigious fine art institutions, world-class museums, award-winning architecture, professional entertainment venues and diverse restaurant offerings.  The Merchandise Mart is a short, leisurely walk to the famous Magnificent Mile, where exclusive shops and four-star hotels bustle with activity from the Tribune Tower to North Avenue Beach.  Also nearby is Millennium Park, Chicago’s newest architectural landmark featuring celebrated public art works and breathtaking views of both the lakefront and the skyline.

Interesting to note that the downtown district where the event was held was nearly empty.  many of the shops that are in and around the area were closed on Sunday and not many people frequent the area.  It seems that on Sunday on Chicago at this trade show and convention center they pull in the sidewalks.  I would suggest if you are4 looking to have your event at the Chicago Merchandise Mart it would be a good facility to have an event during the week.  The building is a very nice jewel in the heart of Chicago and is a LEED’s certified building which the display prominently.  I recommend the Great Grey Lady.  After all, how many facilities out there are LEED certified and have their own poem.

I am headed out to Chicago this weekend to speak at a social media industry event.  I was curious what is going on in the Chicago area and their recent news about law changes and the McCormick Place Conventions Center.  I saw a news item flash across Twitter and tracked down a story on the Meetings Industry Megasite about the latest in the law changes in Chicago.  The legislature had passed a law making the convention industry more competitive in Chicago and the Governor let it sit on his desk until he was forced to make a decision.  The bill was vetoed and later last week, the legislature voted to overturn the veto.  The law was passed and now Chicago is more competitive as a result.  I think the economy is making a number of the convention centers and other to take a look at the bottom line and searching ways to be more competitive.

There were many associations that had threatened to move their events from Chicago because the center was not competitive and in response to that they needed to make some changes.  Some of the listed changes that were made include:

• Establishes new labor work rules that reduce crew sizes and require less overtime pay.

• Expands exhibitor rights, allowing customers to do their own work, regardless of booth size.

• Appoints a trustee—Reilly—to oversee McCormick Place operations during an 18-month transition period and choose a private manager for the facility.

• Restructures MPEA’s capital debt, which will allow it to further lower costs for customers.

• Allows shows to select outside electrical and foodservice contractors.

• Calls for auditing contracts to ensure savings are passed on to customers.

I think these are some areas that will be looked at by a number of facilities and certainly other convention and visitor bureaus are going to be watching closely at how the new law changes put into place in Chicago are going to change their own proposals.  This is also going to help the third party vendors and suppliers to compete in a market where they may have been locked out.

Conventions and Trade Shows by their very nature is one of the most wasteful industries on record.  They tend to throw away quite a bit of paper and of course, food.  There has been a way to combat the waste, and we are seeing technologies that are making that more simple from a paper standpoint, but we have always had a problem with that leftover food.  You know the food I am speaking of, those trays of cheese and fruit and the many dinners not eaten, or the buffet that was not well attended.  All of that is wasted unless of course you are more proactive in what should be done with that food.

I was reading yesterday about The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act which limits the liability of those wanting to donate food items to their local food bank or perhaps a shelter.  In many cases events are required to purchase minimum food and beverage amounts and if their event is not quite large enough to meet the burden, they tend to lost that money.  The article refers to that issue and makes a good tip of going forward with the minimum amount of the food and beverage purchase, using that food for the event and then donating the excess food to charity and taking a write off for tax purposes of the amount donated.  This is definitely a win-win for the organization having the event and the one getting the donation.

In fact I would go a step further and publicize the fact that you will be donating the food excess so that you can also get some cause marketing out of the donation.  Many people like to hear these kinds of stories when they go to an event that is being mindful of its community.  With a write off and some good will, as well as benefiting someone in need of a meal, you are getting some great karma for your event!  Meeting planners pay attention to this tip and when planning your event, add a column for doing some good with your event.

[Photo via Rogarrido]

I am a huge fan of the Starwood Hotels and their resorts.  The latest Starwood Hotels and Resorts experience I had was out in Hawaii, so you can imagine how much that rated on my enjoyment meter.  If you get a chance to stay at the Moana Surfrider it is a one in a lifetime experience.  I also had an opportunity to look over Starwood’s latest campaign to help meeting and conference planners and at the same time give to charity.

The graphic above provides some for the information about their latest offer.  As you can see from the graphic they have also teamed up with PepsiCo on their campaign.  A deeper look into their offer also provides some details:

Starwood Hotels & Resorts and PepsiCo have teamed up to provide more value for your meeting experience. Plus, Starwood is giving you an opportunity to give back to your community. For every meeting booked your company will be entered to win one of four $50,000 charitable grants to be donated to your favorite local cause.

Book by July 31, 2010, and hold your meeting by December 31, 2010. This offer includes:

• - 4% Credit to master
• - Complimentary PepsiCo food and beverage break
• - Up to 100,000 Starpoints^® signing bonus
• - Sweepstakes for one of four $50,000 charitable grants
  

PepsiCo is becoming a driving force in the world of cause marketing and they are leading the way for other companies to participate.  This is a great initiative they are putting together with Starwood Hotels and Resorts.  If you book your meeting or conference with them, let them know that the folks here at Conventions.net sent you, and give them a thumbs up from us.

The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex is a multipurpose venue so diverse, it would take several pages to describe its capabilities.  With over 220,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 19,000-seat arena, a 3,000 seat concert hall, 74 meeting rooms, 1,000 seat theater, 2 ballrooms, a high tech medical forum center, and 770 guest rooms, there is little this venue CAN’T handle!

Add to all of this ample covered parking and audio-visual facilities complete with distance learning capabilities, what more could  your convention/conference/retreat/trade show/meeting possibly need?

The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex is easily accessible, too; it’s only ten minutes from the airport, and its downtown Birmingham location makes it easy to drive to, as well.  The venue is convenient to most of the city’s attractions, and all hotel reservations booked with Hotels Convention Center are guaranteed to be the lowest group rates in the market.

This is an outstanding venue.  Outstanding.  The Exhibition Hall can accommodate over a thousand booths, and electricity, water, telephones, internet, and compressed air are available at 30-foot intervals.  Your trade show will be perfection.

The acoustics in the theater and concert hall are so perfect that little voice magnification is necessary.

The venue adjoins the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, which can accommodate both small and large groups and offers many convenient services including a health club, indoor pool, and video rentals.

The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex is located at 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North in Birmingham, 35203.

Telephone:  205-458-8400

The Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta is truly unique: approximately 200 acres of facilities capable of expertly hosting your convention, conference, retreat, and trade show, as well as sporting events and pretty much any kind of special event you could imagine. 3.9 million square feet with 1.4 million square feet of prime exhibit space can accommodate anything!  Add to that 12 exhibit halls 106 meeting rooms, and 2 ballrooms, and there is nothing this venue can’t hold!

Besides, the Georgia World Congress Center is complemented by the Georgia Dome (think SPORTS!) and Centennial Olympic Park.  All together, these facilities make the finest venue for anything in the world .

The venue is right in the middle of downtown Atlanta, making it convenient to almost anything and everything you and your attendees might want to visit after hours or during breaks.  Your speakers and exhibitors will have access to the venue’s many amenities, including WiFi.

Oh, and not only is the Georgia World Congress Center the 4th largest convention center in the world; it’s also one of the most popular!

This is a green venue, as well.

The Georgia World Congress Center is also very much into social media; interested potential customers can find it on Twitter and Facebook, as well as Linkedin.

If you are seeking a venue for your conference/convention/retreat/trade show/etc, seek no further than downtown Atlanta, Georgia, and the Georgia World Congress Center!

The fabulous Gaylord Opryland Resort & C0nvention Center, in Nashville, Tennessee, might be down but it’s far from out!

This spring’s catastrophic floods might put conferences and conventions on a delayed schedule, but officials at the venue are confident that before long, the building will be ready for conferences again.  Waters ten feet above room level are no laughing matter, and several newspapers have predicted that it might be several months before this resort, and others, can reopen.

Most conferences that had reserved space at the venue are taking a “wait-and-see” attitude.  For example, the Romance Writers of America, with a conference scheduled in three months, has officially stated that “RWA is contractually obligated to hold its conference at the Gaylord Opryland over the dates stipulated in the contract.  It is up to Gaylord to notify RWA if it cannot uphold its end of the contract. . . .” Most organizations have been most understanding, and it’s also interesting to note that the Gaylord is such a fine venue, the majority of reserved conferences are taking this same “wait and see” attitude.  Good vibes.  When there is open and honest communication, things will almost always work out fine.

In a grand example of social media at its best, Gaylord officials sent an email to individuals with reservations at the venue that said, in part, that “. . . we are disappointed that we will be unable to welcome you at this time.  We will be refunding deposits and payments for all reservations scheduled for arrival over the next 90 days.  We greatly appreciate your patience and request that you allow several weeks for processing.  We are also working with the organizers of all meetings scheduled to be held at Gaylord Opryland to possibly reschedule the meeting at another of our Gaylord Hotel properties.  Please check with your meeting organizer regarding the status of your meeting. . . .”

Another message sent by Gaylord Opryland to its customers stated that “. . . We are continuing to monitor the flood situation in Nashville, and will assess any hotel damage with the appropriate teams.  When there is new information regarding the hotel’s condition, we will poast the news on our website at http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-opryland/. . . .”

The Gaylord Opryland Resort and Conference Center is not taking any incoming reservations at this time.  The hotel evacuated all of its guests to a shelter and provided them with food, drinks, and bedding.  These guests will have their luggage shipped to them by Gaylord as soon as possible.

In my opinion, this venue is handling this unfortunate situation with great skill, tact, and understanding of the frantic guests and drastically changed plans of conference planners, caterers, vendors, suppliers, and corporations.

Washington D.C.’s Renaissance Hotel, in the heart of downtown and convenient to almost everything in the district, is a very popular venue for conventions, conferences, trade shows, meetings, and retreats. With over 64,000 square feet of meeting space, including 36 meeting rooms and a Grand Ballroom with more than 19,000999 square feet and a seating capacity of 2,500, and all the exhibition space you could possibly need, what else is necessary?

All of the meeting rooms and public areas are wired, as are the guest rooms.

The venue offers complete AV and teleconferencing capabilities, and the hotel furnishes an event services manager, on duty 24 hours.

Computers and printers, copy and fax services are also available at the Renaissance.

Got packages?  This venue can take care of those, too, whether they’re coming in or going out.

The hotel can also furnish your conference people with walkie talkies.

As for location, downtown D.C. is as handy as it gets.  The Renaissance is next door to the Washington Convention Center and only a few blocks from the Metro. The Renaissance also offers complementary use of the vida Fitness Center and aura Spa.

The Renaissance is a Marriott, and you can use your rewards here.

The hotel is smoke-free, and no animals are allowed except for service animals.

Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel
• 999 Ninth Street NW
• Washington, DC 20001 US
• Phone: 1 202 898 9000
• Fax: 1 202 289 0947
• Sales: 1 202 898 9000

Frank Lloyd Wright had a vision of a graceful, curving convention center that would link beautiful Lake Monona with the State Capitol Building.  The Monona Terrace Convention Center is that dream come true.

Just look at the 360-degree tour of the venue!

Whether your convention/conference/meeting/retreat is large or small, the Monona Terrace is the ideal venue.  with 250,000 square feet of space, multi-level, curving, and geometric, with spectacular glass vistas accenting everything, your gathering will be in the perfect place here at the Monona Terrace.  It’s not only a fantastic venue; it’s a visual paradise.

The Monona Terrace has anything you could possibly need for your conference, too: easy-access parking, AV services, security, furniture and staging, shipping, wireless internet access, and even a gift shop!

Planning a trade show?  The Monona Terrace has over 37,000 square feet of exhibition space.

This venue is easy to get to, too.  Madison is accessible by air from every major metro area in the country.  Greyhound provides services to downtown Madison, as well.

Monona Terrace Community and Convention
1 John Nolen Drive
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 261-4000?

If you are looking for a convention/conference/retreat venue that is located near a myriad of local wonders for evenings and free time, look no further than the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Casper, Wyoming.  Whether your attendees are golfers, fishermen or outdoor adventurers, historians, sports fans, or just interested in local color, this venue is only a short distance from all of those, and more.

The Parkway can offer your convention a large conference center along with many meeting rooms.  The hotel’s catering service can take good care of a group of any size with cuisine so good, your attendees -and you – will remember it for a long time thereafter.

This venue has, in fact, 20 meeting rooms and over 25,000 square feet of flexible meeting and conference space that can accommodate up to 1,500 people.  You’ll have access to any audio-visual equipment you might need, as well as high speed internet and teleconferencing capabilities.

The Parkway Plaza Hotel & Convention Center also offers your attendees transportation to and from the airport or group outings.

It’s always best, in my opinion, when the conference venue also houses the hotel and dining room, and the Parkway Plaza Hotel & Convention Center does all of that, and much, much more.

Want a virtual tour of this venue?

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