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Message From Headquarters Dear reader, Floating graciously in the Caribbean, and sharing the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, is the Dominican Republic. There are two sides to the Dominican Republic, both beautiful. On one side, tourists bask under the tropical sun, inside the many world-class resorts along the beautiful coastline, sipping colorful cocktails under the palm trees and bathing in the pristine waters of the ocean and in gorgeous blue lagoons. The other face of the country is found along the country roads, amongst the sugar cane plantations, where people labor in the sun and men play dominoes. Indeed a land of interesting, eye-catching contrasts! For the almost 10 million people, tourism is an important source of income, and the thousands of visitors who come to enjoy the resorts and to explore the Spanish colonial heritage are warmly welcomed. Those who take the trouble to explore a little behind the scenes will find plenty of unspoiled tropical paradise off the beaten track in the Dominican Republic, and locals ready and willing to offer warm, superb hospitality. Sincerely, Jose-Manuel (Manolo) GARCIA, CIS President
About Us Our Vision: Associates: Preserve our company as the best place to work, so that our multicultural staff can thrive professionally and thus always perform their best. Customers: To offer an innovative high-quality service that exceeds all expectations. Partners: To continually consolidate our network of honest and successful partners. Revenue: To maximize the investment of our shareholders & help them gain good dividends. Planet: By means of our hard work instill in others the responsible management of resources.
Our Mission: To serve our customers supported on international certifications ISO 9001 and ADMC, thus ensuring 100% satisfaction to groups, conventions, incentives and special events customers. We create memorable experiences that leave a lasting impression on attendees visiting each and every one of the destinations in which we operate.
Our Objective: Always aim for 100 % overall customer satisfaction.
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Year 9 Vol. 1, Issue 114 Visionary, Founder, Jose-Manuel GARCIA, CDS jmgarcia@ividmc.travel & Master Coach
Corporate Marketing and Business Director Corporate Quality Director
Dominican Republic
Trinidad SANCHEZ tsanchez@ividmc.travel Francisco BAEZA fbaeza@ividmc.travel
Managing Director —MyDay Travel Corporate Headquarters:
Guaguancó Carnival Sea Explorer
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MyDay Travel: Bali - Indonesia
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Alejandro PECH apech@ividmc.travel
Eventing: Children at Your Wedding
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Omar GALLEGOS ivicorp@ividmc.travel
Quick Hits: Santo Domingo’s Largest Convention Center
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Advertise with CommuniQuest
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The Customer’s Always Right
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Let’s Cook - Fried Plantains
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Travel Tip: Never Check
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Julia ORTIZ jortiz@ividmc.travel
Content and Editing
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Brazil Olympics June 2016
Electronic Publishing
Page
Cover Subject
President Jose-Manuel (Manolo) GARCIA, CIS manolo@ividmc.travel General Comptroller
Contents:
Jorge OROZCO, DMCP jorozco@myday.travel Av. Acanceh 1-01, SM 15 Cancun, Q. Roo, 77500 Mex.
Destination Offices: Mexico
Caribbean
Central America
South America
IVI DMC² Cancun & Riviera Maya Raquel MIJARES, CIS Marketing, Business & Planning Director rmijares@ividmc.travel
IVI DMC² Dominican Republic Genaro ALMONTE, CIS Regional Managing Director galmonte@ividmc.travel
IVI DMC² Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, & Honduras Jorge LAZO Regional Managing Director jlazo@ividmc.travel
IVI DMC² Colombia Carolina CALDERON Regional Managing Director ccalderon@ividmc.travel
IVI DMC² Mexico City, Central Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, & Riviera Nayarit Jaime NELO Destination Managing Director jnelo@ividmc.travel
IVI DMC² Cuba Alejandro DEBASA Regional Managing Director adebasa@ividmc.travel
IVI DMC² Costa Rica Sonia VARGAS Destination Manager svargas@ividmc.travel
IVI DMC² Brazil & Argentina Andrea MAJELA Regional Managing Director amajela@ividmc.travel
IVI DMC² Panama Ligia VARGAS Regional Managing Director lvargas@ividmc.travel
IVI DMC² Chile Kenneth WELCH Regional Managing Director kwelch@ividmc.travel
IVI DMC² Los Cabos Mario FOSTER Destination Managing Director mfoster@ividmc.travel
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© Copyright 2016. All Rights Reserved. 3
Cover Topic:
Dominican Republic
Islanders here have a passion for baseball, music, and dancing, especially the merengue. The country’s diverse geography includes tropical rain forests, towering mountains, mangrove swamps, and deserts. Want to reward your attendees? Then, bring them to this unique land!
LATIN MUSIC, FOOD, AND FIESTA!
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Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
February 2016
Punta Cana night life just got hotter with Guaguanc贸 show lounge specializing in Latin rhythms, live band and haute Latin American cuisine! Aimed at young and adult contemporary audience that enjoys good food and lively music with Latin touches, Guaguanc贸 is a unique and exclusive experience where they can enjoy an authentic and delicious cuisine, fabulous cocktails devised by expert mixologists and the best live music, an incredible show of dancers, artists, et. The best local and international orchestras will delve into the whole range of insular Caribbean music, with rhythms characteristics ranging from the most traditional Latin countries, like Bachata, Salsa, Merengue, and Cha-cha-cha.
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Close down the main streets and enjoy the fun! Carnival has been celebrated in the Dominican Republic since the mid-1500s. Evidence of this has been found in the ruins of La Vega Vieja (near the present-day La Vega) showing that celebrations were held here before they were celebrated in Santo Domingo. The celebration consisted that the residents dressed themselves as Moors and Christians. Diablo Cojuelo (Limping Devil): is the main character during the carnival. A story says that this devil was banished to earth because of his childish pranks. When he hit the earth, he hurt his leg. Most of the towns and cities in the country have their own version of it, but the constant feature is the use of a mask, showy suits of satin, sleigh bells, a "vejiga" which is an animal bladder filled with air which is used to hit people in the streets or a whip (to hit other "diablos"). La Vega: Holds one of the biggest parades in the Dominican Republic with more than 20 different groups, each one with a different costume. This parade attracts people from all over the country and also tourists from around the world. Santo Domingo: Being the biggest city in the Dominican Republic, it holds the biggest parade in the country by gathering all of the different groups and characters. Truly, a national parade.
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Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
February 2016
Allegedly, the mask is used to resemble the Spaniard conquerors when they first came to the island. The mask shows big mouths, long noses and horns, which some might say resembled the Spaniards’ facial features. And the devil–like-look too resembles them as they came and enslaved and killed the natives. This was considered a devilish act (not a godlike-act). Hence, also the whip the Cojuelo carries resembles the whips that the Spaniards master had to whip the slaves with.
Even though this festivity is celebrated in so many ways most towns and cities share common characteristics such as: - They are held mostly on the main streets of the town or the city. - People gather on the streets and curb to watch the parade. - Most of the disguised people carry a "Vejiga" to hit the people with. Typical music like Merengue and Bachata is played through all the celebration adding big excitement to it. 7
An Amazing and Safe Underwater Adventure! Discover one of the most unique experiences, walking underwater, in comfort, and you won’t even get your hair wet. Enjoy the natural beauty of the underwater world. The Sea Explorer Tour gives you the opportunity to get up close to dolphins in their own underwater world during your next visit to Punta Cana. Using a diving helmet specially designed, you will be able to breathe freely, untangled, as you interact with dolphins on the surface. During this tour enjoy 20 minutes of interaction with your new dolphin friend on the surface, as well as 20 minutes underwater. Come and admire what these incredible mammals can do in this fantastic new tour in Punta Cana!
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Dominican Republic
You and your group will fall in love with all the greatness that envelops this magnificent event. For all the logistics, you can count on the expertise of our bilingual IVI DMC2 Brazil staff. As always, our unfailing commitment is to make you look GREAT!
The summer Olympics will be held in Brazil in
PLAN YOUR GROUP IN ADVANCE!
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Bali - Indonesia Bali is an island and Indonesian province. It is the most occidental of the minor island of Sunda, and is located in chain, with Java in the west and Lombok in the east. The island is a very popular touristic destination and it’s known, same as Java, for its exquisite arts including dance, sculpture, painting, goldsmithing, and a very particular music style, specially interpreted during the Gamelan. The rain season goes from October to April, dry season is from May to September. Even so, Bali is a very humid place all over the year; so, it is recommendable to make sure your hotel has air conditioning. Also, it is advisable to travel during the dry season, but too, it is true that the best offers to travel will be found during the rainy season. Totally worth it!
Did You Know?
Some parts of the Tibet, showing your tongue to someone is a greeting
In Albany lowing and rising your head means “no”, while moving it from side to side means “yes”
The Leaning Tower of Pisa was originally built to be a bell tower
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the USA in 1884
The abbreviation of ORD from the International Airport O’Hare in Chicago comes from the old Orchard Field
The online check in for flights was used for the very first time in 1999 by Alaska Airlines
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February 2016
Children at Your Wedding? Even though the majority of the receptions don’t allow children, some couples don’t have an option and need to invite family or close friends with little ones. We love the idea of seating all the kiddos at one table — they'll have a blast playing with other children and too, it'll give their parents a muchneeded break. Here are four fun ways to create an interactive kids' table that will keep them busy and at the same time, make them feel included in your most joyful occasion. Candy center piece – Fill a basket or crystal bowl with candies and easy crafts for them to enjoy; they will certainly enjoy it and you will save in a floral centerpiece Spell out each kid's name using alphabet cookies and display them on their assigned spot. Individual activity kits - Make each kid feel special with a personalized kit assembled just for them. These contain snacks, small toys such as rubber dinosaurs, yo-yos, and coloring books adorably packaged in a mini suitcase. Mini paper tablecloth; order some mini paper tablecloth with some activities for the kids and put some crayons at the table, and that´s it!
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Santo Domingo's Largest Convention Center Ready by May 2016 Work is in progress on the construction of what will be the largest convention hall in the Dominican Republic. The venue will be an extension of the existing Ministry of Foreign Relations meetings center. Two new halls are being added, as well as underground parking for 450 vehicles. The latest audiovisual technology is being incorporated at the center, which is being equipped to host meetings for between 200 and 4,500 people. The construction of the convention center will supply the great need Santo Domingo has to host large-scale events. Spearheading technology and versatility will be used in the organizing of all types of events. And fully affordable to all! Our destination will host over 20 international events in this new venue, beginning with the upcoming General Assembly of the OAS (Organization of American States) scheduled from June 13-15.
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For further info fine hotels, d and group pack in this mag contact Francisc fbaeza@ivi
February 2016
Advertise in CommuniQuest Magazine Advertising and promotional opportunities are now available in CommuniQuest magazine. Sponsorship placement opportunities are limited and are reserved on a “first come, first served” basis. We invite you to advertise in our vastly distributed magazine which is already available to over ten thousand avid readers. These readers are dedicated members, stakeholders, and fine suppliers. The magazine is an inviting 'cover to cover' read, ensuring an eye-catching and successful advertising.
IVI DMC² World Headquarters: Ave. Acanceh #1-01, SM 15 Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mx Phone: +52 (998) 287-1700 Email: ivicorp@ividmc.travel
Serving the meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions industry since 1986. Find us in over 40 destinations throughout:
ormation on the deals, activities, kages mentioned gazine, please co BAEZA: idmc.travel
Mexico Cuba Dominican Republic Belize Guatemala El Salvador Honduras Costa Rica Panama Colombia Brazil Argentina Chile
The Customer is Always Right Fernando, you are just fantastic! Thank you for being available at all points of the trip and helping me to manage the group and make sure everything was settled. Thank you for your patience with lastminute changes and additions. The whole program was a huge success and I could not have organised this without you, so thank you all very much. I will recommend IVI DMC2 to all my colleagues for future events in Mexico, the Caribbean and South America. Rio Secreto, Hacienda El Mortero, Selvatica Canopy Extreme, and Coco Bongo are experiences that my guests will never forget. Thanks again and best regards. 13
Nicole Unsworth Event Manager Capita Travel and Events
Fried Plantains, a Dominican Staple Ingredients:
1/2 liter of cooking oil
2 plantains
Salt
Preparation:
Pour oil in a frying pan
Preheat oil over medium heat
Peel the plantains
Cut them into bite size pieces
Fry both sides of each piece until golden
Remove from oil, sprinkle salt
Allow to cool and enjoy!
Fun Fact: Do you know what’s in season in February?
Plantains are a staple in Dominican Republic, and a favorite throughout the Caribbean. From boiling to frying, there are many ways to prepare them and they are so delicious! If you want them to be salty like a chip snack you need to use unripen plantains. For a sweeter caramelized snack you will want to use ripe plantains.
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Asparagus
Kiwi
Avocado
Lemons
Beets
Limes
Broccoli
Oranges
Brussel Sprouts
Papaya
Cabbage
Parsnips
Cauliflower
Sweet Potatoes
Celery
Tangerines
Clementine
Turnips
Grapes
Travel Tip: Never Check
Any medications.
Fragile or breakable items.
Any irreplaceable items (like the only copy of the soon-to-be-best-selling manuscript you just wrote).
Perishables. Planes perishables spoil.
Valuable items, such as keys, jewelry, cash or traveler’s checks.
A cigarette lighter or matches. You can’t check them, but you can carry them aboard the plane in your pocket.
Expensive luggage (this is a clue to thieves something of value maybe inside).
Flammables, corrosives, and explosives.
Firearms. Loaded firearms are forbidden. (Unloaded are allowed in checked bags if sealed, declared and labeled properly - the same applies to ammunition).
Oral/rectal thermometers. If broken, the mercury could damage the planes structure and wiring.
Essentials. For example, Marjorie Yasueda, a senior travel consultant, who does a lot of mountain trekking, always carries her hiking boots aboard on the outbound leg of her journey. “There is no way I can break in new hiking boots when I’m in the Himalayas. Coming back, on the other hand, I check them,” Yasueda says.
get
delayed
and
(Taken from page 131)
James Feldman, (a.k.a. Doctor Travel) is a Certified Facilitator and internationally recognized professional motivator, author, television host, and radio personality. His company Incentive Travelers Cheque Int’l provides individual and group incentive travel awards for many Fortune 500 companies. His book “Doctor’s Travel Cure For The Common Trip” is an entertaining and invaluable travel guide whose purpose is not to tell you where to go, but rather to help you get ready for the adventure. CommuniQuest is pleased to share some of Mr. Feldman’s travel wisdom with our readers, who from time to time must deal with lines, cancellations, lost luggage, and a person in the adjacent seat making extensive use of the air sickness bag. Reprinted by permission from the Author: jfeldman@itcheque.com
THANK YOU FOR READING Like life in general, the M&I Industry seems to move at the speed of light. As a committed B2B partner, we aim to help you keep up with the latest industry news and opportunities. CommuniQuest magazine is a valuable tool that brings you the timely information and analysis that you need, with a lair for what's hot, relevant, and interesting. I wish you the best of success in your quest, whatever it may be. Jose-Manuel GARCIA, CDS Visionary, Founder, & Master Coach IVI DMC²
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