December 2006

A MONTHLY DIGEST TO INFORM AND ENLIGHTEN MEETING AND EVENT PLANNERS VOL. 4 ISSUE 10

December 2006 – January 2007 Edition

Guadalajara: A big city with a soul

BY LEO GERVAIS

F

or anyone living north of Missouri on the continent of North America, Mexico always seems like a good idea for one reason – it’s warm.

But for most, knowledge of this Spanish-speaking country is limited to what we read in vacation brochures for Cancun and in the daily newspapers about their contentious elections.

This country of 104 million people has plenty to offer meeting and event planners as well – you just need to have an open mind and get off the beaten tourist path.

So it is with Guadalajara, the capital of the state of Jalisco.

Like the rest of Mexico, tourism is a key to growth in the country’s second-largest city where the Spanish pattern of plazas making up a cheeseboard pattern is clearly evident. The heart of the 476-year-old city contains the majestic governor’s palace and the cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana) and its famous towers bordering the oldest of these plazas, a place where thousands of Mexicans and tourists visit every day.

“Guadalajara doesn’t get the attention of Mexico City, but there are plenty of excellent reasons to consider it if you’re a meeting or event planner,” said Cesar Castañeda, Director for the Mexico Tourism Board’s Toronto office during a recent trip to Mexico.

Guadalajara is about 335 miles northwest of Mexico City, and is home to some popular cultural symbols such as mariachi, tequila, the hat dance and Mexican rodeos. As well, there is a plethora of wonderful architectural sites to visit, including the Palacio del Gobernio, the former government palace that contains some breathtaking stairway roof murals by social realist painter Jose Clemente Orozco. Many tourists come just to see the work of the man our guide Poncho called the “Mexican Michelangelo.” This Palacio del Gobernio is worth a visit and has been declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. For shoppers, the artisan village of Tlaquepaque is worth a visit to see an amazing variety of hand-crafted goods.

Colonial buildings like this one abound in Guadalajara.

Photo courtesy of Mexico Tourism Board

Venues to consider From a venue point of view, the Presidente Intercontinental in Guadalajara has 15 meeting rooms with 27,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, including one with a 1,500 theatre style capacity. This 14-storey hotel also has the Astral Ballroom with an impressive 100-foot high ceiling. They also have 10 sales & meeting professionals on site to assist with your events. Large groups will certainly be well accommodated here.

On the Web: www.intercontinental.com (search Guadalajara, Mexico).

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

In other words, it will now be impossible to slip the edible souvenir into your carry-on bag, but you can tuck it into your checked luggage.

The prohibition is part of new restrictions that took effect in mid-November. European Union authorities compiled a list of banned substances in reaction to the August discovery of a plot to bomb a U.S.-bound flight using homemade liquid explosives.

Though there is nothing about cheese specifically in the list of banned substances, said Marja Quillinan-Meiland, transport spokesperson for the European Commission, the rules do mention “solid-liquid mixtures” and “any other items of similar consistency” which could be interpreted to include cheese.

F.Y.I. Europeans prefer smoke-free hotels It appears the 2008 scheduled smoking ban in Europe will be welcomed by a majority of Europeans.

A recent survey of more than 12,000 hotels guests found nearly 72 per cent of guests now prefer a smoke-free environment, even beyond their room, according to this year’s J.D. Power & Associates European Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study.

The recent survey also revealed that 69 per cent of hotel guests across Europe would embrace a non-smoking environment.

The lowest group to support smoke-free hotels was 57 per cent of the guests who live in Spain. The highest group to endorse no-smoking hotels was British and Swedish travellers with 76 per cent.

According to Linda Hirneise, executive director of J.D. Power’s global travel practice, this might encourage an American brand, such as Starwood, to lead the way toward European smoke-free hotels.

Tireless attention needed for tires It may seem inconsequential, but keeping your tires properly inflated will prolong their life, save gas and reduce pollution. Most cars have at least one under inflated tire and underinflation increases the risk of a blowout. You may have to add extra air in very cold weather to maintain proper pressure, since air contracts when cold, and tires lose about one pound of pressure for every drop of 10 degrees fahrenheit.

Underinflated tires reduce fuel efficiency by about two percent for every pound of pressure. Check your manual for the recommended tire pressure.

Other ways to improve fuel efficiency and thus reduce pollution: Maintain your car properly by having regular tune-ups; replace spark plugs and air filters according to the manufacturer’s recommendations; maintain a steady speed as much as possible – aggressive driving with lots of accelerating and braking burns much more gas.

Paris bans soft cheese in carry-ons If you are a “pate molle” or soft cheeses lover and plan on stocking up while in Paris, beware this category is the latest casualty of stricter aviation security.

Paris airport authorities have announced a partial ban that hits French delicacies such as Camembert, Brie and Roquefort.

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

3

ED. NOTE

In with the new I

t has become apparent over the past year, that Americans are coming to Canada less and less, for whatever reason, and there always seems to be one. And probably because of the stronger dollar, more and more Canadian meeting and event planners have started going to the States. Add to that a federal government that seems out of touch with the industry, and that doesn’t make for a very promising 2007.

So at The Planner, to try and help the industry we will be focusing more on East-West travel and less on North-South. We will have more articles on Canadian Cities and venues of interest across the country. If you as a planner, have ideas or input on how we can highlight more Canadian content please let us know.

The idea that we will try to develop is something new. We will try and combine site inspections with a family trip, so yes it will be a fam trip but for two reasons. The idea we are working on is a ski week for the end of February, beginning of March from Quebec City to La Malbaie. The planner parent could visit a number of hotels, try the skiing and plan for a future event all the while being and enjoy it with his/her family. So in the coming weeks we will be working with the Quebec City Tourism Bureau, The Fairmont Hotels, the Charlevoix Tourist Bureau to see what kind of package we can put together, to be continued.

All in all, however, 2006 wasn’t a bad year, and by looking forward and coming up with new ideas we can help create another good year in 2007. So with that thought in mind, we at The Planner wish you all the very Best for 2007.

In this issue Be an exhibit manager

6

Looking for a challenge? Expert columnist Barry Siskind gives the job description on a very tough but rewarding occupation.

Boutique hotels

8

You’ve surely heard of them, but associate editor Jyl Ashton Cunningham gives us the goods on these popular and trendy hotels.

Halifax update

10

Halifax is easy to get to and has some excellent facilities. Here’s an update on what is happening in Canada’s famous Atlantic port city.

Keep it simple

12

Are you tired of to do lists, organizers, organigrams and company missives extolling productivity? Jim Clemmer explains how to simplify it all.

Investing in your RRSP

14

As our new columnist Michael McAteer explains, the tried and true RRSP is still one of the best vehicles for long-term security.

The heart of people skills

16

Employees who are imposed upon tend to leave. The best leave first. Peter de Jager examines why employees leave.

Published by: 2105 rue de la Montagne, suite 100 • Montreal, Quebec • H3G 1Z8 Telephone: (514) 849-6841 ext. 333 • Fax: (514) 284-2282 WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS: info@theplanner.ca Editor and Publisher: Leo Gervais – lgervais@theplanner.ca Associate Editor: Camille Lay – clay@theplanner.ca Associate Editor: Jyl Ashton Cunningham – jashton@theplanner.ca Graphic Artist: Matt Riopel Sales: James Paulson – jpaulson@theplanner.ca, Administration: Julie Boisvert, Tania Joanis, Patricia Lemus Contributors: Mike Auctor, Anne Biarritz, Jim Clemmer, Peter De Jager, Michael McAteer, Barry Siskind, Louise Villemaire, Harriet Wezena

The Planner is a monthly publication distributed to professional meeting and event planners across Canada and the U.S. The Planner uses 30% recycled post-consumer paper Poste-publication No. 40934013

Becoming a CMP

17

Have you ever considered becoming a Certified Meeting Professional? Jyl Ashton Cunningham explains how to do it and why it is worth the time and money.

Stop procrastinating!

21

Everybody puts things off, but Bob Urichuck gives advice on how to get stuff done now and explains why it’s worth it to be a self-starter.

Your horoscope revealed If you’re a Capricorn, you are probably already aware that you’re hardworking. But did you know you’re a great host? See the new horoscope section for all the details.

30

Want to be an exhibit and event manager? Here’s a job description

BY BARRY SISKIND Exhibit and event management is a relatively new function. While some organizations have a dedicated exhibit staff employee, often the role of exhibit and event manager lands on the desk of an unsuspecting, overworked or unwilling sales or marketing person who feels like a new car owner without the ignition key; the car looks good, but it won’t take you where you want to go.

Exhibiting is serious business with a real payoff. Whether it’s a full- or parttime job, the need for results are the same. Exhibit and event management is a multi-tasker’s fantasy come true. There are hundreds of bits and pieces that need to be assembled and, like a jigsaw puzzle, each interlocking piece must carefully fit into another. Slowly but surely, the whole picture starts to take form. When it’s complete, you sit back and enjoy the results of all your work. Then you take all the pieces apart, put them back in their box, and wait for the next chance to put them together again.

There are some differences between building a jigsaw puzzle and managing an exhibit program. With the puzzle you have the luxury of focusing on one piece at a time. When you manage an exhibit program you are required to juggle many tasks simultaneously.

Additionally, when pulling the box back out and putting the exhibit puzzle together again, you are likely to be dealing with a different picture.

Circumstances change from event to event, so each exhibit is, in many ways, unique. These challenges require an understanding of face-to-face marketing, the tools to create and implement a plan and the fundamentals of exhibit selling.

If well planned, the job is not as daunting as it first appears.

The planning process starts 9 to 12 months before an exhibition. If you give it enough time, you can eliminate the

last-minute scramble to get everything done. But for those of you who like the adrenaline rush that comes with producing something as complicated as an exhibit in a few short weeks, know that your job description is identical to the exhibit manager who gives it the time it really deserves.

The exhibit manager’s job is to carefully orchestrate three key areas: physical, fiscal and human. They will have to coordinate, evaluate, motivate, educate and stimulate each of these resources to create an exhibit program that will make you proud of your accomplishments and produce stellar results for your organization.

Job Description Title: Exhibit Manager Reports to: Vice President – Sales and Marketing Based at: Corporate head office Job Purpose: To plan, coordinate and execute the corporate exhibit strategy for shows and events both domestically and internationally.

Key responsibilities and accountabilities: 1. Align exhibit program objectives and strategy with brand and corporate priorities.

2. Plan, organize, and execute a strategic plan for the corporate exhibit program 3. Plan, organize and execute each individual event to meet objectives, timeframes and budgets.

4. Liaise with external exhibit suppliers 5. Work with internal customers 6. Coordinate sales, marketing and public relations efforts 7. Carry out market research, competitor and customer surveys 8. Handle all event bookings and logistics 9. Select, train and motivate sales force 10. Evaluate results 11. Ensure timely reporting of results 6

12. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of current exhibit best-practices

Personal Profile Personality traits 1) Self-driven, 2) Results oriented, 3) Focused, 4) Detail oriented 5) Credible, 6) Creative 7) Strategic thinker 8) Team player 9) Empathetic communicator 10) A good motivator 11) Able to think on your feet 12) Able to work under stress 13) Multi-tasker 14) Curious 15) Comfortable working with various cultures 16) Comfortable travelling

Personal situation Must be mature and able to spend up to 50 percent of time travelling.

Specific job skills a) Understanding of the methods of research. b) Experience with face-to-face marketing tools c) Superior planning skills d) Proven ability to communicate both verbally and in writing e) Ability to manage without authority f) Computer skills including data base management and word processing g) Ability to juggle many tasks simultaneously h) Sufficiently mobile to handle an extended travel schedule ••• Reprinted with kind permission from the author. Barry Siskind is North America’s foremost trade and consumer show expert, president of International Training and Management Company, and the author of several books. Visit his Web site: www.siskindtraining.com or E-mail him at: barry@siskindtraining.com.

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

Seeking the ultimate (boutique) hotel experience

BY JYL ASHTON CUNNINGHAM

T

hese days, meeting planners are being bombarded with countless choices of hotel, each professing to be more exotic, exciting, efficiently run, hitech and luxurious than the next. It is becoming increasingly challenging to make an educated assessment on what will actually work successfully in the client’s best interest and budget when planning a corporate event.

While the objective of the event is a good first step, many more factors come into play as the group demographics, history, geographical location, duration of stay and entertainment preferences are outlined. As the event resumé becomes more defined, menu preferences and in-room facilities become the focal point for discussion.

Enter the boutique hotel concept. Also sometimes referred as a lifestyle hotel or design hotel, a boutique hotel traditionally caters to the incentive, high-end and high-maintenance market rather than to

The Pantages Hotel in Toronto caters to the sophisticated boutique hotel crowd. meetings and conventions. The emphasis is on designer linens and furnishings, opulent or minimalist décor, fresh floral arrangements and famous name toiletries in over-sized bottles. Everything is carefully engineered to pamper, cosset and soothe the weary traveler who has seen and done it all, with emphasis being on personalized service in small properties (generally under 100 rooms).

Boutique hotels are not a new phenomena – they’ve been around for over 20 years in the United States and at least 15 in Canada and worldwide. What has changed over the years, however, is the definition of “boutique.” The term was reportedly first used by Ian Schrager, who opened Morgans Hotel in New York in 1984-85. Known as “The hotel that started it all,” Morgans was designed by Andrée Putman. He strove for a chic yet residential feel with luxurious textures and designer touches. Morgans hotels are now across the United States and United Kingdom, but they have never lost sight of their original boutique objective.

Recently large hotel chains have bought into the boutique concept.

Starwood launched W in the late 1990s, which may well have resulted in the whole of the Starwood chain getting a welcome facelift. Their highly soughtafter Heavenly Beds are so well known

8

internationally that they are now available retail.

The thing about Boutique hotels is that there is no set standard to qualify the use of the term. So in theory, anyone with an eye for design in any sized chain hotel could “boutique” themselves.

Where the difference will become immediately apparent, however, is in the level of staffing and service. A smaller property has a much better chance of providing the elements of boutique service because training and supervision can be monitored more efficiently by managers and even owners (who are often actively involved in the daily operations and highly visible to clients). There is a much greater expectation of superior and more personalized service in a boutique hotel by the client’s from the moment they walk through the door. Anyone who has visited one of the beautiful boutique hotels in Old Montreal recently will know exactly how that feels.

Montreal is arguably the only city in Canada that has embraced boutique-ism to its fullest extent. Hôtel St James, Hôtel St Sulpice, Hôtel XIX Siècle, Hotel Place d’Armes and Hôtel Nelligan are all within a stone’s throw of one another in a formerly rather desolate part of the city and many more notable boutique properties are available throughout Montreal.

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

Hotel scene has done a 360-degree turn over the last half century CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 Old bank and office buildings that once housed cut-rate clothing emporiums and souvenir shops were lovingly restored, revamped and refurnished, bringing Old Montreal back to life even during the winter months. In-house gourmet restaurants and fabulous bars were included in the mix, raising the bar in an already high standard of local cuisine and amassing an after-work clientele as well as residents. Service is of the highest standard throughout. Any one of these beautiful hotels would not be out of place in London, Paris or Milan, and are prized as destinations by discerning groups and individuals alike.

That being said, Old Montreal is now almost fully redeveloped with old warehouses, banks and port authority buildings being converted into condominiums, hotels and luxury office suites.

While the boutique hotel is not necessarily indigenous to restored properties, their charm is certainly part of the branding and uniqueness in design. Once all the historic buildings are converted and

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

given a new lease of life, what then?

As downtown real-estate trends continue towards the popular trend of highrise, hi-tech, condominium-hotels economy, one can only speculate on the next metamorphosis of the boutique hotel. At some point, might the luxury and white glove service become tiresome? The hotel scene has done a 360-degree turn over the last half century, and could well do so again as downtown space becomes swallowed up.

Hotel chains are becoming so large that it is becoming increasingly difficult even to say the name of some properties as the brand inevitably has to head up the previous hotel name. Perhaps the future answer lies in providing competitive pricing, especially in the cost of meals, beverages and in-house services, which would keep guests on property, increase profits and start a whole new trend of value for money.

That’s quite a pleasant concept when you think about it.

Jyl Ashton Cunningham is an associate editor with The Planner. She is based in Toronto, Ontario.

9

Halifax’s new Cunard Centre is a worthwhile venue for consideration towards winning the international bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Halifax’s success with this bid will mean many amazing new infrastructure improvements and additions for the city – stay tuned!

On December 15, 2005, Halifax was selected by Commonwealth Games Canada to represent Canada in the international competition to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games. In competition with Glasgow, Scotland and Abuja, Nigeria, the winner will be announced on November 9, 2007 in Sri Lanka.

Halifax International Airport opened a U.S. pre-clearance facility on October 4. This new facility allows non-stop U.S. bound passengers to go through U.S. Customs and Border Protection prior to their departure, making connections easier and travel more convenient. Halifax International Airport is Atlantic Canada’s foremost full-service airport and is the only airport in the region to offer U.S. pre-clearance.

BY LINDSAY MILLS More than 2,000 delegates from over 100 countries gathered in Halifax from November 12 –15 for the Global Microcredit Summit. Delegates convened to access progress towards the Summit’s goal of reaching 100 million poorest families and to launch the second phase of the Campaign. Halifax’s ability to host this large, multi-faceted event showcases the city’s meeting and convention infrastructure at the highest level.

Meeting planners from across the country will be excited about the Cunard Centre, the newest addition to event venues in the city. Located on the Halifax waterfront, the renovated cargo shed is a one of a kind, multipurpose, year round event centre. With 45,000 square feet of space, accommodating up to 2,500 guests for a formal dinner or 4,000 for a stand up reception, the Cunard Centre is among the largest venues in Halifax.

With less than a year until the international bid winner is announced by the Commonwealth Games Federation, the 2014 Halifax Commonwealth Games Bid Team is diligently working

Halifax’s Cunard Centre has 45,000 sq. ft of meeting space

Lindsay Mills works for Agenda managers in Halifax. On the Web: www.agendamanagers.com.

10

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

KEEP IT

BY JIM CLEMMER

A

department manager in a struggling company recently summed up what’s wrong with many organizations.

Contemplating his firm’s abysmal performance, he told me: “We have lots of projects, goals and priorities. We’re constantly making lists and setting action plans. But we seldom see anything through to completion before some urgent new priority is pushed at us.”

His division manager, he said, is “…like a nervous water bug that flits from one half-baked strategy to another.”

Faltering organizations are often beehives of activity and hard work that generate little practical return. Managers confuse “busy work” with results. They are like pilots who say, “We’re lost, but we’re making great time.”

This is a critical leadership issue, says Larry Huston, total quality manager in Procter & Gamble Co.’s worldwide research and development program. He argues that successful business leaders will be those who can: • Define one or two key competitive themes • Effectively focus scarce resources to carry them out.

“What will ultimately separate the winners from the losers will be the ability to execute,” Mr. Huston says.

One key to developing the needed focus is to have a company’s leaders set

SIMPLE... out “strategic imperatives" – the things that must get done. These are the vital few objectives, usually 12- to 18-month projects, that can catapult the organization toward its long-term goals.

Among the vital key steps in realizing these imperatives: • Narrow the must-do list to three or four things. A long laundry list of urgent goals diffuses focus, spawns unproductive work and provides enough bureau-

cratic cover to justify pet projects or protect turf.

• Make your imperatives measurable.

The clearer the target, the surer the aim.

“Improving customer satisfaction,” “reengineering key processes,” or “changing the culture” show up on every organization’s wish list. Setting concrete goals turns this rhetoric into reality.

• Focus all key systems and processes on this handful of imperatives.

12

Training, measurement, information systems, human resource systems and other resource-intensive activities must pass the value-added test: Does this work help or hinder these goals?

• Ensure that the objectives of any improvement team serve the imperatives. Too many teams waste time and effort making improvements that don’t really matter. Concentrate precious resources on vital leverage points.

Such unwavering focus does pay off.

Since 1956, Emerson Electric Co. – a maker of power tools, compressors, instruments and electric motors – has produced an average annual return to investors of 19.1 percent.

Emerson does it by managing the basics. It develops annual financial targets and identifies key strategies to meet them. At the moment, it is focusing on four areas: total quality; thorough knowledge of competitors and their costs; manufacturing effectiveness; and capital spending on plant and technology.

“A corporation has to work to have a simple plan, simple communications and simple organization,” chief executive Charles Knight says. “It takes real discipline to keep things simple.”

••• Jim Clemmer is an internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, workshop/retreat leader and management team developer on leadership, change, customer focus, culture, teams and personal growth. His Web site is www.clemmer.net.

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

Sudoku

LEVEL: EASY

The object of the game: Fill each square with a number from 1 to 9 so that every number appears only once in each row, column and cell.

LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

Solution, page 29.

Solution, page 29.

TIP OF THE MONTH: In Sudoku, knowing which numbers go where is just as important as knowing which numbers don’t go where. In the words of Sherlock Holmes, “You have to eliminate the impossible, and whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

13

RRSP: A great tax-saving strategy

BY MICHAEL MCATEER

I

would like to think that no planner needs convincing about the importance of regularly contributing to your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP). Not only does it give you a significant tax deduction each year, it also

allows you to accumulate financial assets in a tax deferred account.

Even a small contribution can be effective long-term Investment portfolios usually generate taxable income in the form of dividends from stocks, interest from bonds and possibly capital gains from both, but when they are held in a registered account such as a RRSP, taxes are deferred until such a time as the owner must withdraw funds from the plan.

During your retirement, the funds withdrawn from your registered retirement account will be taxed as regular income, usually at a lower marginal tax rate than during your peak earning years.

In my practice as a financial planner, I am constantly discouraged by the number of clients who have neglected to regularly contribute to their RRSP and carry over a large balance of unused RRSP contribution room. It’s a shame because they have lost the advantage of two of the most important factors in a successful investment program: time and money (effect of compounding). The ability to avoid paying a yearly tax on investment income is an added plus, as more money remains in the portfolio to take advantage of the compounding effect. Think of it this way – not having to shell out money for taxes until much later is like receiving an interest free loan from the government.

For the independent business owner, structuring a retirement plan around their RRSP is essential as they may not have a company-sponsored pension plan in place, and the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security will hardly provide the means to swing a golf club in southern climes. This is why thought should be given to the amount of salary the business owner takes from the company. It is tempting to want dividend income for the initial tax advantage, but consider that the Canada Revenue Agency will grant a tax deduction for the amount of 18 percent of your earned income in the preceding tax year to a limit of $18,000 this year if it is contributed to a Registered Retirement Savings Plan.

14

The annual RRSP Deduction Limit Statement on the federal Notice of Assessment clearly spells out the RRSP contribution limit you are entitled to in the current tax year.

Time and money: Ageless reasons to have an RRSP That ends the accounting lesson. Let’s get back to the reasons why you should start your retirement plan early and contribute to it on a regular basis: time and money (effect of compounding). The basic effect of the power of compounding, or how money grows, can be summed up by the “Rule of 72,” which states that to find the number of years it takes to double your money, divide 72 by the rate of return you can earn. At 5 percent your money will double in 14.4 years. At 10 percent your investment portfolio will double in value in 7.2 years when compounded annually. Not bad considering you did not have to lift a finger once the account was set up. Now imagine the compounding effect applied to the additional funds added to your portfolio by way of your annual RRSP contribution.

A large part of retirement planning involves trying to predict the future value of investment portfolios and picking dates when retirement will be feasible. The statistical probability that the desired rate of return will be earned by the investment portfolio can only be reasonably assumed. Of greater importance is a factor that is entirely in your control – the discipline to regularly set aside money that you might otherwise spend today, and invest it for your future care and enjoyment. The RRSP is a strategy that is easy to implement and to follow and will work to your benefit no matter what type of investment product you use – just get your money in there.

Now that I have explained some reasons why to invest in an RRSP, in the next article I will spill the beans on everything I know about how to invest for your retirement.

Michael McAteer is a financial planner living and working in the Montreal area. He can be reached at michael.mcateer@rbc.com.

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

F.Y.I. This smart oven is for busy planners Samsung’s new Smart Oven is geared towards cooks looking to simplify what was already a relatively straightforward kitchen gadget.

The device is a combination microwave and convection oven that aims to take the guesswork out of speedy cooking with a scanner that reads special bar codes on prepared and frozen food packages, then programs itself to heat dishes according to the code’s instructions. It will cook a meal from start to finish, even if it requires thawing frozen vegetables with the microwave setting for a few minutes, then baking it at 400 degrees. The oven also has a non-stick interior and a steam-cleaning feature that is supposed to make it easier to wipe splatters. The machine isn’t able to read the universal product codes already printed on most items, and so far the number of groceries carrying its special codes is limited.

It is only available in the United Kingdom for now, but watch for it in the coming months.

On the Web: www.smartcooking.co.uk

Part-time learning is popular: survey There are still those who take part-time studies in pursuit of a fatter paycheck, but today a majority of Canadians taking extra training just want to learn more, according to a Statistics Canada survey.

The survey, designed by the Canadian Council of Learning and administered this spring by Statistics Canada, found 73.4 per cent of adults who take work-related training are motivated by the desire to learn something new, and almost 69 per cent take courses to perform more effectively in their current jobs.

And for 32.5 per cent, they are taking courses to boost their earning power and 31 per cent said they are taking courses to make them eligible for a promotion in the future.

The survey also revealed that younger Canadians and Canadians with higher education are more likely to take workrelated training.

Irrespective of the reasons or motivation working Canadians have to study part-time, experts say, the bottom line is, they are acquiring new skills and knowledge that improves their prospects and opportunities.

This establishes a new trend that, education is a continuous process and no longer ends with just the completion of formal schooling and acquiring degrees.

Given this trend, employees should take the initiative to find out what sort of training their employers offer in-house and what sort of financial support they might provide for courses taken outside of work, advised Monika Morrow, vice president and national practice leader with Right Management, a Toronto-based consulting firm. The study also mentioned that those who take advantage of training opportunities get noticed.

According to Morrow, employers are always looking for people who are committed to their personal development as well as their career management. Simply put, these people are valuable assets to an organization.

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

Today’s preparation determines tomorrow’s achievement.

Anonymous

15

What’s at the heart of people skills?

If these situations, and their many variations, weren’t so common, they wouldn’t attract attention. Yet, they are common and even though no reader of this article will admit to being guilty of these offences… they’re worth discussing as a symptom of a management failing.

We know that if we impose on people, then we should go out of our way to compensate them. If we don’t, since people don’t like being taken advantage of, they’ll leave at the first opportunity. The best leave first.

We’ve known since kindergarten that a promise is a promise and going back on our word results in dire consequences. People are trusting until we prove to them their trust is undeserved.

We know, because we don’t like it being done to us that we shouldn’t take credit for work done by others. Theft of credit is considered a crime by all except the courts.

Why then do we choose to treat people this way? More to the point, why don’t we understand that treating people unfairly inevitably works against us?

I suspect, but cannot prove, that the answer is embarrassingly simple. Managers don’t really perceive their staff as “people”, they’re merely “resources” which are deployed like machines to accomplish tasks. The fact that most companies have a human “resources” department, lends some credence to this suspicion.

If we accept the proposition that managers don’t think of their staff as people, that would explain some of the reasons justifying working people until they drop, breaking promises and treating their effort as if it was our own.

That’s a ludicrous proposition of course. I’m not aware of any manager, even those guilty in the above situations, who would admit to treating their people as “resources” and not as people.

Yet… despite their denials, what the actions described make sense only when people are treated as machines.

Is there a solution? There isn’t a reader of this article who doesn’t know what the answer is… treat people as people. A simple, obvious solution, begging the question… why don’t we do that?

BY PETER DE JAGER Consider the following situations: • One afternoon three people, out of a remaining staff of five, hand in their resignations. The resumés of the other two employees are already in circulation.

• An employee who used to be reliable, pleasant and productive is now missing deadlines, surly and doing the least amount of work possible without getting fired.

• An individual, who was once creative and innovative at every opportunity, now never offers an opinion or an idea.

In each case, the manager has no idea what is going on. That ignorance of cause won’t stop the managers from taking action.

• The manager will complain that employees have no loyalty. He will come to the conclusion that good help is hard to find and isn’t looking forward to the cost and effort necessary to replace the three departees.

• As soon as he can, he’ll find a reason to fire the individual in question. His reasoning is simple, “We’re responsible for our own attitude” and “bad attitude can’t be tolerated in any organization.”

• He expects that this individual will progress beyond silence, into full-fledged bad attitude. He begins to document why he’s forced to terminate the employee.

The sad reality is that these are all real life examples, and the managers in question were directly responsible for their own pain.

Here are the three causes, and they share the common theme of “Poor People Skills”; • The employees had worked on a priority project for two months. They worked 10-12 hours everyday, including weekends, ultimately the project was a success. At the end of the project they were given one day off, and then one of the employees was ‘let go’ for financial reasons.

• Management made a promise to the individual that when a particular position opened up, they would promote that individual. The position went to an external hire.

• Credit for an idea offered to the company and adopted with great enthusiasm and success, went to the manager. He never mentioned the employee’s role in the process.

© 2006, Peter de Jager – Peter is a speaker/consultant/writer focusing primarily on Change Management while paying some attention to general management issues. You can contact him and read more of his work at www.technobility.com.

16

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

Want to be a CMP? With 11,000 graduates, the Certified Meeting Professional designation is world renowned

BY JYL ASHTON CUNNINGHAM, CMP

J

anuary is traditionally resolution month, and what better time to consider studying towards the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) Designation!

The CMP celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2005 and currently has certified over 11,000 people across the world. It is estimated that about five percent of those are in Canada. Many companies now request a meetings industry designation when posting job vacancies, and the CMP is the perfect answer for planners who don’t have time to take formal further education.

2006 saw a few changes in the exam structure of the CMP and it is now possible to take an international version of the test, which was formerly strongly influenced by US practices (this option is still available however). There is also an incredibly detailed glossary compiled by APEX, of over 3,800 industry terms, posted on the CIC website, where CMP information is also found. www.conventionindustry.org MPI (Meeting Professionals International) and IMPAC (Independent Meeting Planners Association of Canada) both offer CMP Study Groups for their members at no charge (nonmembers are welcome to participate for a $50 fee). Study Group leader names are posted on the CMP website. Currently the only CMP leaders are in Toronto, however anyone with a CMP may set up a study group and resources are available at the same website to help do just that. Study group leaders can also purchase text books at a reduced rate, for their own use.

The deadline for the January, 2007 CMP exam has passed.

The next available exam date is July 28, 2007. For the first time, there will be an exam in Montreal as well as Toronto. The Vancouver exam for July, 2007 is still to be confirmed.

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

The first step is to qualify for the exam and pay for the Application Form and Handbook (US $45). There are strict requirements to qualify, including having a minimum of three years’ experience in the meetings industry, being in current full time employment (or being self employed) in the meetings industry, being “responsible and accountable for the successful completion of meetings.”

Once the application form is completed, it is submitted with a fee of US $175 to the Convention Industry Council, prior to March 19, 2007. After a few weeks, notification will be sent on whether the application is approved. The Exam Registration Fee must be sent to CIC by May 21, 2007 (US $375).

Whilst there are no mandatory study tools for the CMP, the Convention Industry Council Manual (7th Edition, US $60) and the Convention Industry Council International Manual (US $79.95) are both considered essential texts for use in study groups.

So if you have a spare CDN $850-plus (or a generous employer), consider using it towards this valuable and worthwhile designation.

Jyl Ashton Cunningham, CMP is owner of JAAC Events in Oakville Ontario, and is a CMP Study Group leader for IMPAC. She is also an associate editor with The Planner.

17

Viva Mexico!

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Another outstanding place I visited was the Quinta Real Guadalajara. Quinta Real is an exclusive collection of eight hotels, each with its own special character. A member of Virtuoso and Preferred Hotels and Resorts, this superior hotel has 20 Grand class suites and an outstanding presidiential suite. It looks like a colonial-era hacienda, featuring antiquestyle furniture, original works of art, local crafts, stucco ceilings, ivy-covered pink stone walls, modern facilities and excellent amenities. As well, its gourmet restaurant is first-rate.

They have two meeting rooms, with a capacity for 50 or 150 respectively, so this is would be a great place to bring a smaller group. Highly recommended.

On the Web: www.quintareal.com Also relatively close is the magical Lake Chapala (home to several thousand expatriate Canadians) and the picturesque town of Tequila, where Mexico’s most famous drink is produced and thousands of people work in an industry that drives the local economy.

TRAVELER’S TIP: I suggest hiring a licensed tour operator to help you navigate the city/country and assist with any arrangements that need to be made. Our guide, Alfonso Bayardo Uribe (affectionately called Poncho) worked with the local DMC (Turismo Receptivo) Viajes Copenhagen. He was outstanding and really helped us understand the history and traditions of Mexico. The DMC’s Operations Manager is Liliana Aceves Blanco, a local who grew up in the U.S. and a tourism veteran who understands the needs of planners and was extremely helpful. If you’re looking to hold a meeting or event in Guadalajara, I strongly recommend speaking to these people.

On the Web: www.viajescopenhagen.com

The fearless editor tries a tasty worm taco at La Tequila.

learning some Spanish before travelling to Mexico, or be sure to have a Spanish-speaking friend/guide who can help you order food or talk with the locals.

Case in point: Someone asked if I’d like to try gusanos de maguey and being somewhat adventurous, I said yes. Well, after some laughter, they brought out a plate of agave plant worms (yeah, the ones in the bottles of mezcal!) and proceeded to put them on a soft taco shell for me. The worms had been fried up and the waiter noted “They’re pure protein!” So we added some avocado and chile sauce and consumed the gusanos de maguey. They tasted a bit like corn chips, and seemed to go down quite well with tequila followed by a cerveza chaser. Editor’s note: The back of the menu at La Tequila listed the 29 “properties” of tequila. They include: “Brings friends closer together,” “dispels shyness,” “makes women join forces” and “increases happiness.”

Tequila!

On a warm November night in Guadalajara at a restaurant appropriately called La Tequila, I learned to love the fine spirit made from the blue agave tequilana weber plant (also called Maguey by the local people). You may equate this wonderful alcohol with mezcal (yes, the golden alcohol with the worm in it) but tequila is made only from the blue agave plant, while mezcal is the name of any distilled alcohol made from the agave plant (there are more than 250 kinds of tequila and mezcal, but a select few make up the largest market share).

What makes tequila different from other mezcals is its adherence to the strict standards set by the Tequila Regulatory Council. Tequila is required to be at least 51 percent agave; the remainder is usually maize or sugarcane, although some premium tequilas are made 100 percent from the blue agave plant.

More on this later…

La Tequila is a wonderful restaurant in the heart of Guadalajara that serves many Mexican favourites. A good barometer of any restaurant is if it is frequented by locals, like La Tequila. A superb cipotle beef tenderloin was accompanied by several cervezas (beers) and, of course, a goodly amount of tequila. A few words of advice: I strongly recommend

Piñas, the “hearts” of the blue agave, are ready to be cooked and distilled into tequila at Mundo Cuervo in Tequila, Mexico.

A visit to Mondo Cuervo Tequila really does dominate this part of Mexico. Whether it’s the 50,000 acres of fields of blue agave or partying in the local bars while sipping margaritas (active ingredient: tequila), there is no getting away from this highly prized liquor.

18

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

The Mexico Tourism Board has been making efforts to attract meeting planners to the country

iPod innovation continues to amaze

It’s worth your while to find a tequilero (tequila guide) who will take you on a tour to the agave fields and a distillery. Our tequilero was Alejandro Mercado Guzman, and he provided an exhaustive three-hour tour on the harvesting, production and (of course) drinking of tequila. He works for Jose Cuervo, the oldest and largest producer of tequila (since 1795). They provide a unique mix of educational activities, meeting spaces, gardens and facilities at Mundo Cuervo’s hacienda in the town of Tequila (about 40 minutes from Guadalajara) that can accommodate from 10 to 800 guests. Not to be missed: A trip to the Cuervo family cellar that contains some of the finest tequila reserves in the world and the Mexican rodeo.

“Entertainment is always important at meetings in Mexico, and we offer charros (traditional Mexican cowboy), mariachi and other aspects of Mexican culture for our guests,” said Guzman, “It’s really a great way for people to hold a meeting but enjoy themselves at the same time.”

I couldn’t agree more.

On the Web: www.mundocuervo.com

WILL THE iPHONE REACH OUT AND TOUCH US SOON? I use a Blackberry and an iPod and Macs and Berries are the favourites of millions around the world. I wish I could combine them, but apparently there’s no need to wish any longer – the rumour mill is churning out the latest story that Apple is hard at work on an anticipated iPhone. Digg.com founder Kevin Rose was quoted as saying a source at Mac revealed a few of the nifty features of this sure-to-be bestseller: a slide-out keyboard, two batteries 9one for phone, one for MP3 player), a touch screen and 4-8 gigabytes of flash memory storage, enough for several thousand songs. Some have also said it will have touch screen and a virtual keypad.

Apple is reportedly planning to launch the iPhone simultaneously with all the major cellphone companies, and support the three major cellular technology standards: GSM, CDMA and TDMA. One analyst said the company could sell between 8 and 10 million phones at a price in the US $300 range, with a profit margin of about 10 percent. That would bring Apple an estimated $3 billion in revenues and boost its sales by 15 per cent.

What does all this mean? Two things: Consumers will likely have a superior option when buying a cell phone soon and companies like palm, Motorola and Research in Motion better start sweating and praying.

With its modern facilities, services and unique history and culture, Guadalajara is a very good option for planners looking to mix business with pleasure. Mexicana airlines has several flights per day as does Air Canada, and the Mexico Tourism Board has been taking many initiatives to attract businesspeople and meeting planners as witnessed by its impressive booth displays at the recent IncentiveWorks 2006 trade fair in Toronto this past August.

AIRLINES PLUG INTO THE IDEA OF THE IPOD Airline passengers will soon be able to watch podcasts and listen to Michael Bublé on several airlines, including Air France, Continental, Delta, KLM and Emirates. These airlines will be offering iPod seat connections which will both power and charge iPods during flight and allow the video content on the devices to be viewed on seat-back displays. The service will begin in mid-2007.

On the Web: www.mexicana.com On the Web: www.aircanada.com On the Web: www.visitmexico.com (Tel: 1 800 44 Mexico) Ed. Note: Next month, The Planner will review another Mexican city: Morelia.

•••

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

– Leo Gervais

19

technology that could improve bag handling. Radio frequency identification tags, in wide use to track inventory, would allow airlines to easily know if a bag did not make a flight.

Then, the passenger could be warned via text messaging not waste time at the carousel, and to call to arrange a delivery.

Ahead of airlines in the baggage handling technology is McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. It is installing radio frequency readers and tagging all outgoing luggage. The tags cost about 20 cents US each.

Industry News Baggage complaints surge for U.S airlines passengers As U.S. airlines’ passengers check more luggage to comply with tighter airport security, complaints about lost or mishandled bags surged 92 percent or 182, 234 more complaints in September from a year ago revealed the U.S Department of Transportation.

The number of complaints rose to 8.25 for every 1,000 passengers on domestic flights from 4.56 a year ago, reported The New York Times. Airlines’ checked-baggage soared more than 20 percent after the imposition of the “no liquids in carry-on bags” security rules in August, following a foiled terrorist plot in the U.K. Globally, about 30 million bags are mishandled each year, according to SITA, a company that sells software to airlines and airports for baggage and other systems. Airlines spend about 2.5 billion to find those bags and deliver them to waiting, often angry passengers.

At the end of the year, about 200,000 bags are eventually reunited with owners, which represents less 1 percent of the billions of bags that are checked annually.

As passengers frustration grows, efforts are under way to address two of the worst baggage operations in the United States – at US Airways in Philadelphia and at Atlantic Southeast Airlines.

The relatively primitive technology airlines use to track baggage allow passengers typically to learn their luggage missed their flight after a futile wait at the carousel. Next, travelers must track down baggage agents, fill out forms, and wait for hours or even days for someone, often unexpected to deliver their luggage.

The bag-handling problems could be attributed to the industry’s cost-cutting. For instance, in August, US Airways Philadelphia crew had enormous baggage handling problems due to insufficient personnel and equipment.

US Airways is hiring additional personnel and equipment to rectify the luggage mess over time.

Financial problems have slowed industry investment in

From Calgary to London with BA, five times per week British Airways now has direct service from Calgary, featuring five daily flights per week, one flight each day, with flat beds and First cabins.

This privilege honours the airline’s new “Calgary gateway” campaign to attract more business travelers. Under this campaign, your company can earn 8,000 bonus On Business Points after completing a round-trip transatlantic British Airways flight between Calgary, Canada and the UK on a qualifying FIRST, Club World, World Traveller Plus or World Traveller.

For more information on this offer you can contact the airline via email: BritishAirwaysOnBusiness@britishairwaysob.p0.com

Bagel war a one-sided affair If you live in Montreal (or are a Montrealer living in Toronto) you know all about Montreal’s well-earned reputation for having the world’s best bagels. Forget the doughy imitations that New York or Toronto serve up – Montreal delivers the (baked) good on bagels.

In a blind taste test suggested by the Toronto section of the National Post, three judges from each of The Gazette (in Montreal) and The Post were asked to taste and rate two bagels from Montreal and two from Toronto. The results: The two Toronto bagels scored an average of 4.34/10 and the two Montreal bagels scored 8.4/10 from all the judges.

So what does this prove? That people in Toronto know true quality bagels when they eat them and that Montreal gets to keep its bagel reputation... for now.

357 guestrooms and suites 18 meeting and function rooms that can accommodate up to 350 people Connected to the Montreal Convention Centre

Inquire about Meeting Options™ reward program... extras that you deserve.

360 St-Antoine Street West Montreal, Quebec H2Y 3X4 514-987-9900 www.montreal.intercontinental.com

20

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

Kill procrastination – be action oriented

BY BOB URICHUCK

K

ill procrastination, before it kills you. With an action-oriented, do-it-now attitude you get more out of your day. When you complete the unpleasant or hard jobs first and act on the big tasks, little bites at a time, you trim anxiety and stress while gaining self-respect and self-confidence. After you exert this type of discipline long enough, you will establish a routine and make a new habit. Behavioral studies suggest that if you do something every day for 21 days, it becomes a habit. Be action oriented for the next 30 days and you will master procrastination.

Avoid procrastination. Procrastination is the process of habitually putting things off. It is tempting to make excuses: “I don’t have the time”, “I think they said they were going to be in meetings all day, so I didn’t call”, “This could take forever; I’ll do it when I have a spare day.”

Procrastination can cause you to miss deadlines, leading to lost opportunities and income, lower productivity and wasted time. It will lower your motivation, heighten your stress and generate frustration and anger.

Is this the way you want to live?

Take control of your life now!

Reverse the procrastination habit by being as clever about completing things as you have been about putting them off.

Don’t expect to find time to achieve your goals. The only way to get time is to make time. Start by committing to a do-it-now mentality.

A do-it-now attitude makes you a self-starter – a person who can recognize a need and take appropriate action without waiting to be told to. As a self-starter you will avoid the pressure, frustration and anxiety that come from having others tell you what and how to do things. You exercise your creativity in solving problems and doing work. As a result, you are more productive. You take maximum advantage of every opportunity, your sense of timing sharpening. You seldom miss something you want because of being late. Your services become more eagerly sought-after.

This type of do-it-now attitude will also help you overcome your resistance to dealing with unpleasant tasks. Don’t delay your gratification by delaying the unpleasant tasks. By tackling them first, you get them over with and can get on with the more pleasant things in life.

••

Here are some action-oriented techniques to apply each day Determine your most productive time of the day and dedicate it to “I” time. “I” time is for you to do whatever you have to do that will bring you closer to achieving your goals. It may be as simple as visualizing the accomplishment of your goals.

The point is to dedicate the most productive time for the most important person in the world.

Once you have set your goals and have prioritized the actions take your annual goals and break them down into months, weeks and days. Do the same with each day’s activities. Request a free soft copy of the Monthly Monitor chart* to monitor yourself on a daily basis for the next 30 days.

The first two letters of goal are go. Now it is time to get going.

End each day by writing a prioritized to-do list for the next day.

At the end of each week and month do the same for the next week and month. Get organized. Use a daily planner. You will be better organized if you write down everything.

Clear your mind of clutter.

Solve problems while they are small. Whatever you do, do it once, to the best of your ability, and move on. Question all tasks to make sure they are worthwhile.

Do the worst or hardest jobs first.

Be decisive and remove time wasters from your activities.

When evening comes and your next day’s to-do list is written, celebrate. Action that gets rewarded gets repeated.

An action-oriented person is proactive. When you are proactive, you have initiative — you can see a need, figure out how to best satisfy it, determine the appropriate time to take the right action, and proceed. When you are proactive, you lead.

When you lead, you take control of yourself and get what you want out of life.

Use the Monthly Monitor Chart to be consciously action-oriented for the next 30 days and you will kill procrastination forever! Request your free softcopy of the Monthly Monitor chart at the e-mail below.

•••

“Discipline is the key. Discipline is respecting a commitment to yourself and doing what you have to do, even when you don’t want to do it.”

“I read The Planner cover to cover...”

“Excellent and informative...”

Reprinted with kind permission from the author. Bob Urichuck is a renowned professional speaker, trainer and author of three best-selling books. Visit www.bobu.com and sign up for free weekly e-minutes. Bob can be reached via e-mail at: bob@bobu.com or toll free at 1-877-6588224.

Planners see us. Don’t you need them to see you?

To advertise, call (514) 849-6841 ext. 328

“I always take time to read The Planner...”

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

21

!

Jargon Buster Techno babble demystified sponsored by Avtec Professional A/V Services

What is the Xtrememac Luna?

XtremeMac Luna: The XtremeMac Luna is an iPod dock that doubles as a clock radio. It has two independent alarms that offer the familiar loud noise or music of your choice, and you can press snooze for up to an extra hour of sleep. You can even set the audio alarms to increase or decrease in volume over time.

The Luna has a line-in port for connecting the iPod Shuffle or other audio devices, as well as an AM/FM radio. The clock has four buttons that double as dials to fine-tune the radio and clock settings. The Luna’s black-and-white display looks exactly like the iPod’s user interface. The unit includes a small remote control and has an alarm backup that runs on two AA batteries in case of power failures. It connects to all current iPods with a dock connector, and is also compatible with some older iPods.The clock will be available Dec. 18 for $150 in retail stores and online; it can be preordered at www.xtrememac.com.

22

F.Y.I. Coffee ≠ hypertension While caffeine can raise blood pressure briefly in those not used to it, research indicates that habitual coffee drinking does not promote hypertension, according to a recent long-term study of 155,000 female nurses in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Short, sweet and healthy Four brisk 10-minute walks in a four-hour period were just as effective in lowering blood pressure as one brisk 40-minute walk in people with pre-hypertension (slightly elevated blood pressure), according to a recent study at Indiana University. In fact, the effect of the shorter bouts lasted longer – 11 hours after the last 10-minute walk, compared to 7 hours after the 40-minute walk. Previous studies have found that short bouts can be just as good as longer ones at lowering cholesterol, improving aerobic fitness and decreasing anxiety.

Equals make the best friends.

Aesop

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

F.Y.I. Stop your heartburn!

Are heartburns becoming obstacles to planning that important company event or meeting successfully? What you are eating might just be what keeps your acid reflux episodes clinching to you.

A weak lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a ring of muscle that forms a valve at the lower end of the esophagus where it joins the stomach, is a major cause of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Some simple lifestyle changes with regard to your eating habits can help you control heartburns.

Health experts advise eating smaller, more frequent meals as oppose to a big meal. The reason: a full stomach can put extra pressure on the LES. If the LES is not closed tightly enough, stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, causing heartburn.

Also, avoid foods and beverages that increase the risk of reflux by relaxing the LES. These include alcohol, beverages containing caffeine, carbonated drinks, citrus fruits and juices, tomatoes and tomatoes sauce, chocolate as well as spicy and fatty foods.

If you are drinking alcohol, dilute beverages with water or club soda, drink in moderation between 1-2 mixed drinks, 1216 ounces of wine, or 2-3 beers and drink white wine instead of red. Alcohol increases the production of stomach acid.

Other tips to follow to keep any pressure off the LES include not eating within two to three hours before bedtime, lose those extra pounds and stop wearing tight belts or clothes around the waist. Take your medication at the same time everyday, if not, keep a heartburn record and discuss it with your doctor.

Elevating your head a few inches while you sleep helps too.

Smoking doesn’t help. The chemicals in cigarette smoke weakens the LES as they pass from the lungs into the blood.

The LES remains closed except during swallowing, when it allows food to pass from the esophagus into the stomach.

When the LES is closed, it prevents the backflow (reflux) of stomach acid into the esophagus.

There are many kinds of lunacy, but only one kind of common sense.

Ibo proverb

200 % Increase in risk of dying from heart disease from smoking just one to four cigarettes a day.

SOURCE: RECENT

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

STUDY OF

42,000 NORWEGIANS

23

Life questions that need to be answered 1. Whose cruel idea was it for the word lisp to have a “s” in it?

2. If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkey's and apes?

3. Is it OK to use the AM radio after noon?

4. If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?

5. What do people in China call their good plates?

6. What do you call a male ladybug?

7. If you ate pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry?

8. How is it possible to have a civil war?

9. When they first invented the clock, how did they know what time it was to set it?

10. Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?

•••

The world’s best one-liners 1. It’s bad luck to be superstitious.

2.Borrow money from a pessimist – they don’t expect it back.

3.Time is what keeps things from happening all at once.

4. Lottery: A tax on people who are bad at math.

5. I didn’t fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian.

6. Never answer an anonymous letter.

7. It’s lonely at the top; but you do eat better.

8. I don’t suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it.

9. Always go to other peoples funerals, or they wont go to yours.

10. Few women admit their age; few men act it.

11. If we aren’t supposed to eat animals, why are they made with meat?

12. No one is listening until you make a mistake.

13. Give me ambiguity or give me something else.

14. We have enough youth. How about a fountain of “Smart”?

15. He who laughs last thinks slowest.

16. Campers: Nature’s way of feeding mosquitoes.

17. Always remember that you are unique – just like everyone else.

18. Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.

19. There are three kinds of people: Those who can count and those who can’t.

20. Why is “abbreviation” such a long word?

21. All generalizations are false.

22. I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.

23. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

24. Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.

25. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

26. As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in public schools.

27. Laugh alone and the world thinks you’re an idiot.

28. Sometimes I wake up grumpy; other times I let her sleep.

29. The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the ability to reach it.

30. Evolution: True science fiction.

31. Gravity always gets me down.

24

32. Okay, who stopped the payment on my reality check?

33. We are born naked, wet and hungry.

Then things get worse.

34. Be nice to your kids. They’ll choose your nursing home.

35. I don't find it hard to meet expenses.

They're everywhere.

36. If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.

37. I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges.

38. Eat right. Stay fit. Die anyway.

39. DARE to keep cops off donuts.

40. Nothing is fool proof to a sufficiently talented fool.

41. Work is for people who don't know how to fish.

42. If you don't like the news, go out and make some.

43. For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism.

44. They told me I was gullible... and I believed them 45. I’m out of bed and dressed. What more do you want?

46. I used to think I was indecisive, but now I'm not too sure.

47. I can handle pain until it hurts.

48. Honk if you like peace and quiet.

59. If everything is coming your way, then you're in the wrong lane.

50. It’s been Monday all week.

51. I took an IQ test and the results were negative.

52. This statement is false.

53. Eschew obfuscation.

54. I intend to live forever. So far so good.

55. A day without sunshine is like, night.

•••

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

IMPAC 2006 conference a hit!

Industry News Report: Business travellers choosing Europe over U.S. In the wake of the stringent security measures the U.S. imposes on international visitors, business travelers are streaming to Europe, says a report by a tourism-industry group.

The World Travel Market 2006 report, conducted by Euromonitor International, found that total business arrivals to the U.S. fell 10 percent to seven million over the 2004-2005 period, while the number of the business visitors to Europe grew by 8 percent to 84 million in the period.

According to Euromonitor International spokesman, Clement Wong, Europe was failing to take advantage of this growth by failing to place the special services and infrastructure for the Asian visitors, whose numbers hit 14 million in 2005.

“With its decreasing and aging population, Europe can no longer depend on intraregional travel to sustain its travel and tourism industry,” said the report. Nor can it (Europe) afford to ignore the fact that, “Chinese and Indian tourists spend more on holiday than their European counterparts.”

The report also identified new trends in global tourism including “safe danger” tourism in Africa. This means when travelers choose to enter potentially dangerous locations in the company of guides. Africa had the highest tourism growth of 8 percent in 2005.

More than 85 meeting professionals gathered in London, Ontario to participate in the Taking Centre Stage conference hosted by the Independent Meeting Planners Association of Canada (IMPAC) from November 2Gale Gingrich, CMP, CMM and Bill 5, 2006.

Graham at the Great London Challenge.

One conference objective was to demonstrate different ways of doing things to give members new ideas for their clients. One idea was a car rally called “The Great London Challenge” where participants dressed up and competed in teams in meeting planning related tasks around the streets of London. A “15 Minutes of Fame” lunch was held where participants visited themed, sponsored stations to enjoy lunch and hear a marketing message. Another interesting concept included computer technicians on site to answer one-onone questions about cell phones, laptops, PDAs, viruses, etc. so participants could learn how to run their businesses more effectively with technology.

The conference kicked off with a Gala Evening at the University of Western Ontario where members and suppliers celebrated the 10th Anniversary of IMPAC. Joy Fox was presented with an award for her pioneering efforts to start up the association and IMPAC past-presidents were recognized for their valued contributions and .

As well as all the fun, networking events, a strong educational program was evident. Topics included: Designing More Effective and Innovative Conferences; Don’t Let Your Sales go Down the Drain; Branding- What Personality Is Your Business? and Reduce PowerPoint Problems at Your Next Meeting. As well a panel presentation called Yield Management: Understanding the Hotel Inventory Business and How to Profit From It, was held and featured industry leaders.

Throughout the conference, fundraising activities were held and IMPAC raised over $2,300 for Women’s Community House in London – a women and children’s shelter.

The IMPAC Conference is held annually and is the conference for independent meeting planners to find out the latest industry news as well as make connections with movers and shakers in the industry. For more information on IMPAC visit www.impaccanada.com. The next conference will be held in Whistler, BC November 15-18, 2007.

Beware of bogus online reviews With today’s easy Internet access, tantalizing reviews on hotels and restaurants are just a mouse click away. But who is writing these reviews? And how credible are they sources?

An investigation by The Sunday Times has discovered that writing travel guide reviews is no longer exclusive to the leading travel guides such as Les Routiers, UK. Hotels and restaurants are writing padded reviews themselves to boost business that could be very misleading.

Proprietors describe hotels and restaurants on websites including TripAdvisor.com, using words such as “outstanding,” “excellent,” and “charming” without disclosing their interest in the business, according to a recent report in The Sunday Times.

The paper also found marketing executives to top British hotels recommending perks be offered to customers in return for a promise of good reviews.

Then there is the problem of hotel ratings on well-known websites that could easily be “ramped” with a few e-mails from bogus customers.

These findings are a reminder to receive what is being thrown at you on the ‘information highway’ with skepticism.

Don’t fall for everything.

Two longtime sites that are trusted by many travelers – Lonely Planet and Rough Guide – are still going strong, and both claim the Internet and digital technology have strengthened their brands.

On the Web: www.lonelyplanet.com On the Web: www.roughguide.com

Submitted by Karen Elliott, CMP

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

25

BOOK REVIEW • Surprise and Delight • Embrace Resistance • Leave Your Mark From the top manager to the people at the counters, the commitment from these ideas is apparent and obviously habit forming, in a good way.

Read this book a few times to let the concepts sink in, and see how they apply to the world you live in. Then read it again to pick out exactly what may work for you. This well-written book is must reading for anyone who loves coffee and wants to succeed...

Book: The Starbucks Experience Author: Joseph Michelli Publisher: McGraw-Hill Pages: 200 ISBN: 0071477845 Price: CDN $18 on Chapters.ca

Conflict is for the Birds and The Starbucks Experience

BY HARRIET WEZENA

The Starbucks Experience You may remember the good old days when a cup of Joe was 10 cents. Starbucks is one of the reasons it’s difficult to get a regular cup of coffee today – everything is a chai or a frappucino now.

With unique access to Starbucks personnel and resources, author Joseph Michelli discovered that the success of Starbucks is driven by the people who work there – the “partners” – and the special experience they create for each customer. Who knew so much thought went into making your coffee?

Michelli goes into great detail with plenty of anecdotes to the five key leadership principles that made Starbucks great: • Make it Your Own • Everything Matters

Conflict is for the Birds If you have ever worked or been in a relationship with someone, you’ll know that conflict is inevitable. So that means basically every adult alive today.

Conflict is a negative word. It denotes anger and argument, something that needs to be solved. In Conflict is for the Birds, authors Gayle Wiebe Oudeh and Nabil Oudeh offer a handson, solutions oriented approach to turning conflict into an opportunity for problem solving and growth.

The Oudehs are the principals of and senior consultants for the Centre for Conflict Resolution, and they bring their experience in that field and in bird watching to bear in this interesting and ultimately helpful book. They use the bird metaphor throughout to good effect in nine chapters with names like Ruffled Feathers, When Feathers Fly, Hummingbirds and Managing Your Migration. Through examples, stories and anecdotes (some personal) they help the reader understand where conflicts are from, the different conflict management styles (are you an owl or a parakeet?) and provide excellent questionnaires and graphs to figure out what type you are and what it all means.

If left unmanaged even small conflicts can erupt into significant health and legal situations that could have been avoided with the authors’ very practical advice.

To sum up, Conflict is for the Birds really does get to the heart of conflict, and more importantly, offers ways to understand yourself and conflict better in the hope of finding ways to manage both more efficiently.

Book: Conflict is for the Birds Authors: Gayle Wiebe Odeh and Nabil Odeh Publisher: Creative Bound Pages: 169 ISBN: 097316462X Price: CDN $18 on Chapters.ca

26

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

Websites of interest

D ATEBOOK Upcoming Events

Get through airport screening faster www.tsa.gov/311 The holiday season is always one of the busiest for travelers, and with tighter security since 9/11, it has become even busier. There has been a myriad of rules changes that leave even frequent fliers confused and unaware of what they can bring onboard in their carry-on luggage. This American Transportation Security Administration Website is a useful site with lots of tips on what to pack and what to exclude. Some other ideas to keep in mind: Dress for travel – don’t wear bulky clothes or hard-totake-off shoes or boots. And of course, avoid wearing as little metal as possible.

JANUARY 5-7 Association for Convention Operations Management, Annual Conference, Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto, Ont. Contact: (609) 799-3712, www.acomonlineorg.

JANUARY 7-10 Professional Convention Management Association, Annual Meeting, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ont. Contact: (877) 827-7262, www.pcma.org.

Stay active and healthy while traveling www.athleticmindedtraveler.com How many times have you been on a business trip and wish you knew in advance what good choices there were to run or get a workout in? This Web site takes the guesswork out of trying to stay fit abroad, and finds hotels that match your workout preferences and even identifies local dining options that satisfy all diets. Example: The One King West (see ad page 7) has its onsite workout facilities listed.

JANUARY 20-23 Meeting Professionals International, Professional Education Conference, New Orleans, La. Contact: (972) 702-3000, www.mpiweb.org.

JANUARY 30-FEBRUARY 2 Religious Conference Management Association, Annual Conference, Kentucky International Convention Center, Louisville, Ky. Contact: (317) 632-1888, www.rcmaweb.org.

FEBRUARY 7-11 Association of Destination Management Executives, Annual Conference, Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa, Rancho Mirage, Calif. Contact: (937) 586-3727, www.adme.org.

Luxury travel guide www.nbreview.com For members only, this site (n.b. is latin for take note) has reviews that cover the world’s “most exciting cities and exotic resorts. Written exclusively for discerning travellers seeking trusted opinion...” There is a fee involved, approximately CDN $840.

FEBRUARY 20-22 Society of Independent Show Organizers, International Confex, Earls Courts & Olympia, London, Eng. Contact: (708) 361-0900, www.siso.org.

••• Do you have a Web site you want to share with other planners?

Email us at info@theplanner.ca.

For more great Web sites, check out www.theplanner.ca

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

27

Hotel News

some of Gehry incorporates the character of the place into his design. For instance, the roof is constructed from curved plates of titanium suspended at different angles and tinted rose, silver and gold – symbolizing a grapevine just before the fruit is harvested.

The hotel, part of the Starwood chain, has 43 rooms and suites suspended on a footbridge. It also houses a cooking school and Michelin-starred chef Francis Paniego runs of one of its two restaurants, reports The New York Times. A Caudalie Vinotherapie will offer wine-therapy treatments.

SOLAR AND GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM POWERS CANADA’S BEST WESTERNKELOWNA Best Western-Kelowna has been using solar and a geothermal system to heat and cool its premises for more than six years. The first phase of the project has prevented the release of 90 tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere because natural gas was not burned.

The 154-room hotel installed 102 hot water solar panels on the hotel’s roof, and two five-ton heat pumps in the basement in 2000 and 2001. It was the first solar installation on a Canadabased hotel at the cost of CDN $258,000 of which CDN $53,000 was paid by the federal government.

This accomplishment is borne from a drive to find an alternative to heating water with fossil fuel. And it is one that saves energy and is environmentally friendly, said Greg Salloum, CEO of Salco and owner of the hotel.

To maximize the systems benefits, Salloum has a system in place that recycles waste heat back into the hotel’s washers.

The Best Western-Kelowna also uses washer-extractors – dryers with a moisture control feature - to minimize the amount of time needed to dry linens.

BEANTOWN INTERCONTI IN FULL SWING Boston can now boast of its very own InterContinental Boston, which started booking reservations in mid-November.

The InterContinental Boston offers 424 luxurious guest rooms and suites, well placed to take in a view of the Boston harbor. The hotel features the brand’s Club Intercontinental experience, with five-star services and amenities on select floors.

Apart from its international cocktail and dining options, it is designed to accommodate all your meetings and social events needs with 32,000 square feet of technologically advanced conference and banqueting facilities. Situated on Atlantic Avenue overlooking Fort Point Channel, it puts popular Boston attractions such as Rose Kennedy Greenway, near the Financial District easily accessible.

It’s 66,000 sq. ft Spa & Health Club will probably satisfy your relaxation, pleasure and health needs. The hotel is aiming to be Boston’s meeting and social event destination.

On the Web: www.intercontinentalboston.com

INTERCONTINENTAL LOOKS TO BUILD NEW CROWNE PLAZA PROTOTYPE A new Crowne Plaza prototype will be built, designed to meet the needs of today’s business traveler, who consumer research from professional meeting planners and guests reveals, likes to meet and conduct business in a versatile hotel environment.

While traditional meetings that occur in our designated meeting space are critical, guests also desire the flexibility and control to conduct business throughout all areas of the hotel, both formally and informally, said Kevin Kowalski, vice president, Brand Management, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts.

The design allows the brand to execute the “place to meet” positioning. For instance, the lobby area and lounge contain soft seating with adjacent hard surfaces, power sources and WI-FI to accommodate smaller, informal meetings and individuals working outside their rooms.

Other design elements include: natural light in all rooms; movable partitions/walls, multi-zone, ergonomic chairs, and technology such as backlit projection screens.

The first design for comfort and efficiency Crowne Plaza prototype is scheduled to open first quarter 2008, in Milwaukee, WI. On the Web: www.crowneplaza.com

AAA RATINGS FOR 2007 ARE OUT Ten new hotels and six new restaurants have been added to the list of lodgings and eateries receiving AAA’s highest rating, five diamonds.

The additions will be listed in the automobile association’s 2007 TourBook guides and on www.AAA.com. They bring the total number of properties awarded five diamonds by AAA to 93 hotels and 58 restaurants.

There are two five-diamond lodgings in Canada for 2007, both in Vancouver: Pan Pacific Vancouver and Sutton Place Hotel.

Canada’s five-diamond restaurants include: Nuances and Toqué, both in Montreal; Le Baccara, Gatineau; Signatures at Le Cordon Bleu Paris in Ottawa; Truffles (in the Four Seasons Hotel) in Toronto; and Langdon Hall Dining Room & Terrace (in the Langdon Hall Country House Hotel & Spa) in Cambridge, Ont. (a frequent advertiser in The Planner, see their ad on page 17).

WANT TO SURF? DON’T STAY IN LONDON London hotels are among the most expensive in Europe for guests who want access to the Internet, a survey by Internet company Webaroo has found.

According to the survey, top hotels in London charge an average of CDN $44 pounds for 24 hours of service.

German and French hotels are often expensive too. They survey found an average charge of CDN $38 pounds per day in Berlin, Munich and Paris.

GEHRY BUILD HOTEL IN SPAIN Toronto-born architect Frank Gehry has built his first hotel located in the heart of Rioja wine region, about, 130 km from Bilbao in Spain.

The Marques de Riscal is set at a 150-year-old winery, and 28

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

Hotel News VIVA VERSACE!

Italian fashion house Versace plans to build 15 luxury resorts around the world, in partnership with Australian property developer Sunland Group. The design firm, which owns one property, Palazzo Versace, on Australia’s Gold Coast, will design and furnish the luxury properties. Currently in the works is the 215-suite Palazzo Versace Dubai, which also will have 204 villas, set to open in 2009. No details on meeting space are available yet.

WHOOPING IT UP IN WHISTLER

To celebrate its first anniversary on December 8, the Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa opened its doors to out of town guests and local Whistler residents for hotel tours featuring gourmet food and wine stations, entertainment and great prizes, including a trip for two to Hawaii.

Since the luxury hotel opened in 2005, it has achieved several significant distinctions, including the elite 4.5-star rating from Canada Select in recognition of its outstanding facilities and attentive service. The hotel’s Cinnamon Bear Bar & Grille has earned a reputation among locals and visitors for consistently pushing culinary boundaries to produce cutting edge Pacific Rim cuisine.

New amenities and conveniences include CUSS Airline Check-in kiosks that allow guests to check-in and print airline boarding passes. In addition, guests can pre-order groceries from Whistler Grocery and have their cupboard stocked with snacks before they arrive to the hotel.

Operated by Westmont Hospitality Group, the hotel combines sophisticated lodging and meeting facilities with world-class dining and spa services within a one-minute walk to the base of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Conveniences include oversized interconnecting guest rooms with fireplaces, studios with fully equipped kitchenettes and dining space, laundry facilities, and valet services. The hotel also features Artesia Spa, 24-hour state-of-the-art fitness centre, indoor and outdoor hot tubs and sauna, and complimentary ski, golf and bike valet.

On the Web: www.hiltonwhistler.com.

ANSWER EASY SUDOKU FROM PAGE 13

NOVOTEL HAS A NEW HOTEL IN MONTREAL

The Novotel Montreal Airport, is the seventh Novotel to be launched in Canada. The hotel is a new prototype that has been developed in partnership with Realstar Hospitality to offer guests the ultimate in European aesthetics with the superior amenities and service customers have come to demand in North America, according to a recent press release.

Novotel Montreal Airport represents the cutting edge of Accor’s European heritage with its innovative design and approach, featuring 120 guest rooms, 7 meeting rooms, one ballroom, a pool, whirlpool and fitness centre. Meeting rooms are equipped with the latest in conferencing technology, including flat screens, high speed WIFI access, hands-free telephony, high-tech A/V facilities and others.

Guest rooms also have wallmounted flat screen televisions and complimentary high-speed Internet access, along with other stylish amenities such as oversize showers and ergonomic furniture, making the business traveler’s stay a particularly enjoyable one.

Located at the highly-accessible intersection of Alfred-Nobel and Hymus boulevards, this five-storey hotel was conceived by the award-winning teams of WZMH Architects Limited and II by IV Design Associates.

The restaurant at Novotel Montreal Airport will be called Trio, and is the first of a new generation of restaurants that will be gradually unrolled in all Canadian Novotels.

On the Web: www.novotel.com (Search Montreal)

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

29

ANSWER INTERMEDIATE SUDOKU FROM PAGE 13

Horoscope Is this article representative of you based on your zodiac sign?

Capricorn

Although you are serious and hardworking, you still find time for leisure. Some say you work hard and play hard. True to your nature you enjoy pastimes that have a practical focus. From needlework to carpentry, the men and women of your sign like working with their hands.

You prefer long-range hobbies that require patience and discipline. Reading is also a favourite Capricorn activity.

You may even write yourself and are a collector; you have a naturally acquisitive personality and grouping together items that you love and treasure is something you love to do.

If you are a movie fan, chances are that you enjoy comedies and thrillers. When it comes to television watching, many goats like medical shows and latenight talk shows that feature celebrities.

Capricorns love to shop, especially at upscale boutiques and antique stores, but bargain shopping could be a favourite pastime for you, too.

We’ll try this for a few months – let us know if this captures you the Capricorn, someone born from December 22 to January 19. By the way, if this is your symbol… Happy Birthday!

So let’s start. Capricorns are traditional and hardworking. In fact, they say it’s not uncommon for Capricorns to be workaholics. We are also told that one of your greatest talents is the ability to be your own boss.

You need to work hard at friendship.

Being too emotional about friendship can embarrass you because you feel things very deeply. But showing these feeling is something else entirely. Loyalty is one of your best character traits – you will never turn away from a friend in need, doing whatever you can to help.

You have a generally moderate approach to life, which is why most capricorns enjoy good health.

Your highly-disciplined attitude keeps you from eating junk food most of the time. And you rarely forget to exercise at least a few times each week.

Stress, however, is a prime factor in your life both as a motivator for success and a drawback to good health. We are told at some point in life, all Capricorn individuals need to learn something about stress management. Of course, exercise is one way to deal with stress. Doing aerobic exercise at least three to four times each week can help. Another excellent way to banish stress is to spend some time in meditation each day, say 15 minutes emptying your thoughts while concentrating on a simple positive thought or image.

Following this regimen will apparently go a long way towards helping you manage stress.

Capricorns are great hosts and love to entertain For you home is a calm and nurturing environment. You work hard all day and when you come home in the evening, you want an atmosphere that lets you de-stress and relax. You also see your home as a showplace and enjoy sharing your hospitality with friends, neighbours and relatives. Entertaining is something you do very well. People like to come to your home for major holidays for more casual get-togethers because you serve the best food, the best wine and invite the most interesting people.

Capricorns can be rather demanding when it comes to keeping a domestic routine. Even if you live by yourself, you dislike clutter since this represents a lack of control.

Many Capricorns get married later as they want to be settled in a career before doing so. You want every area of your life to be in good working order, then you can hitch up with someone else. You bring a great deal to marriage but you expect a lot in return. Capricorns want mates who will support their career aims and play a part at social functions.

You are extremely loyal and naturally you expect the same from your spouse. Capricorns are natural leaders.

Travel and leisure On the travel side, it seems you prefer European capitals and history. You have two main desires when you travel long distance – comfort and safety. You don’t like taking chances and are unlikely to comb the backwater of a new area in order to find interesting adventures.

30

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

Review

The Blackberry Pearl gains a fan

BY ANNE BIARRITZ The question is not ‘Do you have a cell phone?’ anymore but ‘What cell phone do you have?’ and it seems to be getting more difficult to find the one that will fit all of our needs.

After having been seduced by the stylish RAZR from Motorola, fitting in any purse, pocket, almost in a wallet (!) and featuring advanced options such as a camera or the Bluetooth, I have to admit that the Blackberry Pearl totally captured my interest as soon as it was launched last September.

I always said ‘No’ to these mini-computers because Blackberries looked huge and inconvenient to handle. The Pearl not only is small and stylish but is a real smart phone. The actual pearl located in the centre of the phone guides you very easily into all the functions: directory, email, messenger, AOL’s AIM, Google talk, maps, a good resolution camera and more.

With a small but high definition screen, you can open Office files such as Word documents or even Powerpoint presentations.

And it’s forgiving if you are scared of pushing technology to its limit – have you ever “accidentally” lost all the information stocked in your cell phone and felt sorry for not saving it in another place? All Blackberries allow you to back up your contacts and schedule information on your computer.

As a planner, you will probably find this little gizmo pretty handy and useful in the many tasks you are required to do.

During site inspections, you will find the camera and email function just perfect and between the office and numerous appointments you have, it will help you organize your schedule with the electronic calendar and get to places on time without getting lost, thanks to the map assistant. There is even a tasks list function – who wouldn’t need that one in our industry?

And when you have downtime, which I know planners don’t have much of, you can listen to your favorite music that you can download from a PC. The Pearl appears to be an ideal choice for the mushrooming mobile E-mail market and could be your new assistant.

Industry News U.S. gives passport reprieve – again

Iceland gets tourist chill for whaling

The Jan. 8 deadline that the American Department of Homeland Security had set to begin implementing the air portion of Washington’s new Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative has been pushed back.

The new deadline is January 23. Here is what the U.S. Department of State Web site reveals about Phase One of the initiative: “In the proposed implementation plan, the initiative will be implemented in two phases. The proposed timeline will be as follows: January 23, 2007 – Passports, Merchant Mariner Documents (MMDs) or NEXUS Air cards would be required for all air travel from within the Western Hemisphere for citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda.”

The second phase will be for U.S. citizens travelling by air or land to have a “valid U.S. passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security” by January 1, 2008.

On the Web: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2225.html#3

Despite a 21-year international moratorium on whaling, the Icelandic government decided recently to resume commercial whaling. Now, the airline Icelandair and several of the country’s leading whalewatching companies have reported cancellations in response to the Fisheries Ministry’s policy to allow the killing of 30 minke whales and nine fin whales, like one killed last month, by August 2007. People have been cancelling their reservations with tour company Discover the World as a political gesture, a company spokesman said. The company sends on average 7,000 tourists a year to Iceland and has now added a travellers forum to its website.

On the Web: www.discover-the-word.co.uk/whalingdebate.

Canadian travel advisory is useful If you like adventure but like to know what you’re getting into beforehand, just check out the Foreign Affairs Department Web site for advice on what places to avoid and information on the situation in various countries.

For a complete traveller’s checklist as provided by the Foreign Affairs Department, go to their Web site at: http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/before/checklist-en.asp.

DEC. ’06 – JAN. ’07

Jamaica has a malaria warning A malaria warning has been issued by the Canadian Public Health Agency for the Caribbean destination of Jamaica, and people are advised to wear long-sleeve clothing to help avid being bitten by mosquitoes.

Travellers visiting the capital city Kingston are also advised to take anti-malarial medication. Canadians visiting popular beach resorts likely can do without the drugs.

Malarial mosquitoes bite from dusk to dawn, so it is particularly important to cover up and use bug spray in the evening.

Check out our revamped Web site: www.theplanner.ca 31