February 2007

Ending GST rebate for visitors will cost government says report

Industry News TO Congress Centre looks to expand

The federal government’s decision last year to cancel its GST rebate program is a “short-sighted” move that will cost Ottawa millions of tax dollars and cause the loss of more than 5,000 Canadian jobs, says a report.

The report, written by Peter Crowley, an Australian consultant whose specialties include tourism taxation, it says, the program is a necessary part of the battle to attract tourists and to encourage those visitors to spend more while in Canada.

Ottawa’s decision last fall to cancel the rebate on the goods and services tax for tourists goes against a trend where governments are trying to find more ways to use fiscal policy to attract tourists, says the report.

The program’s cancellation will cause an estimated net loss of $46-million in tax revenue and eliminate 5,713 tourism sector jobs.

According to the government, the program, designed to encourage tourism by allowing foreigners to recoup the GST they pay while in the country, was inefficient and expensive to run, compared with the revenue it generated.

“The effect of this on the Canadian tourism industry would be worse than 9/11 and SARS combined,” Randy Williams, president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), recently told the National Post.

The industry is already struggling with a drop in visits from the U.S., which were 28 per cent lower in 2005 than in 2000, according to TIAC. Reasons include a robust Canadian dollar, growing fuel prices and confusion about border documentation requirements.

If you’re looking to book bigger meetings in Toronto, you won’t have to wait long – the Toronto Congress Centre will be opening its North addition in the fall. The new wing will comprise 500,000 square feet of additional exhibition space, 40 meeting rooms and a 25,000-square-foot ballroom.

WestJet’s load factor goes up WestJet Airlines Ltd. is riding an airwave of success, filling more of its available seats in 2006 than it did in the previous year, even though it increased its load capacity and added new aircraft to its network.

Its 2006 load factor is at 78.2 percent, up from 74.6 percent in 2005. The numbers highlight “our ability to consistently operate within the optimal load factor range that allows us to deliver exceptional guest experience while maintaining industry leading operating performance,” said Sean Durfy, WestJet President.

The Calgary-based airline says the success story comes from a combination of new routes to Eastern Canada and an informed strategy to match route scheduling to market demand.

The load factor measures the proportion of available seats that an airline has filled.

The company says it expects “favourable” first quarter results, because it has devoted 20 percent of its capacity to U.S. and Caribbean destinations during the peak winter traveling season.

FEBRUARY ’07

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ED. NOTE

The resolution issue R

esolution. N. the act of resolving or the state of being resolved; determination; a fixed intention; the formal decision or opinion of a meeting.

In these fast and changing times, we must constantly adapt. This often means change, hopefully for the better. And there is strong evidence that change is actually beneficial.

In The Origin of the Species, the famous 1859 work about natural selection, scientist Charles Darwin noted that it is not the strongest or largest animals that survive, but the most adaptable. But change is not always easy – we must resolve to change.

There is a common notion that you must resolve to take 21 consecutive days to change a habit for the change to become permanent.

In this issue of The Planner, we have chosen to help planners who want to commit to their resolutions by making them public.

Planners who chose to send us their resolutions were told they would be printed and, in this way, we hope to help them stick with them. Nothing like seeing it in print to help you get motivated.

You can read these planner resolutions on page 22. I have already broken a few, but on the bright side I’m still sticking with two of them. I wish all planners the best of luck with their resolutions.

I hope 2007 is a prosperous year for all of you and please keep those E-mails and letters coming – we always appreciate hearing from our readers.

THE CANADIAN EDITION

IN THIS ISSUE Stars and diamonds

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Have you ever wondered about hotel ratings and questioned their validity? Our Jyl Ashton Cunningham explores the issue in depth.

Exhibit potential

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Is your exhibit program living up to its potential?

Expert columnist Barry Siskind provides six questions to ask to ascertain your status.

Porter pushes perfection

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Stacey Robinson highly recommends the new Porter airline that flies to Toronto’s downtown Island Airport.

Sugaring off in Quebec

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Long a tradition in La Belle Province, a visit to the sugar shack is always a springtime treat.

Leo Gervais explores the secrets of maple syrup.

Halifax update

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The East Coast Music Awards highlight the month of February in Halifax, just one of several big events being held there this winter.

The perils of multitasking

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Everybody does it, but is multitasking an efficient way to work? Stacey Hanke gives us her take on doing too many things at once.

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, Stacey Hanke, Michael McAteer, Stacey Robinson, Barry Siskind, Bob Urichuck, 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

Investing in your RRSP

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

Personal resolutions

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We all make them, but very few of us are able to keep the resolutions we make. Here’s a list of some of the common promises we don’t deliver on and why we can’t.

Morelia has charm If you’re looking for a unique city close to Canada with great sites for planners and sightseeing, consider Mexico’s little jewel.

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Stars and diamonds: Rating the hotels “Friendly and courteous staff with a personal style, (whilst at the same time being formal), with great technical and social skills and who are attentive to your guests”. Should there really be any difference in how a guest is treated, that warrants a hotel star rating? Service is service, and should always be of the highest standard.

If there is no cohesive system to grade the standard of service, elegance of décor, comfort of rooms and quality of food, what is the solution? Does the rating system even really come into consideration when choosing a hotel for a corporate group? Isn’t a good past experience, reputable branding or a recommendation from a colleague a far more reliable method of avoiding disappointment and even a disastrous stay?

Would it be advisable to judge somewhere solely on its rating in a tourism brochure?

It would be a very daring planner who booked anywhere “site unseen”, and there is indeed a solution. Each planner should compile their own Star System, based on the needs and wants of each group, including (but not limited to) the objective of the trip (business or incentive), demographics (age, gender, personality) etc.

BY JYL ASHTON CUNNINGHAM, CMP

S

tar and diamond ratings are certainly not what they used to be. Gone are the days when hotels vied for the coveted awards, by improving their properties and amenities regularly. In the past, stars had to be earned and diamonds were really more intended for restaurants and roadside lodgings, being issued by motoring clubs and automobile associations worldwide.

As far as trying to make a comparison of star ratings from country to country, forget it! A British Three Star facility would not be considered up to par by North American standards and many European ratings are quite unique. Whilst the basic amenities may be similar, the bedroom square footage is radically smaller in older European hotels and Single Room still generally means Single Bed.

Canada is catching up Accessibility to all is something that we now take for granted in North America, since ADA regulations came into effect. Canada is fast catching up on improving the standards in existing properties, and setting strict guidelines for new ones. None of the star ratings reviewed from the US, Canada or Europe, had any mention of accessibility standards, which is a surprising oversight.

The English Tourism Council has recently created new rating standards for English Accommodation. For the first time, there is a category for service, something that has been sadly lacking in star ratings. There is little joy in having a beautiful property if the staff are not trained to look after the guests correctly.

According to the new ETC guidelines, One Star hotels must have “Friendly and courteous staff to give you the help and information you need to enjoy your stay”. Go to a Two Star hotel and receive the same friendly and courteous service, plus a “Personal style of service”. Three Star hotels must provide – in addition to the qualities of One and Two, “A more formal style of service with a receptionist on duty and staff responding well to your needs and requests”. Up to four star, and staff also need to have “Very good technical and social skills, anticipating and responding to your needs and requests”.

However, when you reach the dizzy heights of Five Star accommodation, your hotel is required to have the following:

“...hotel brands such as Starwood and Marriott reward guests for staying with them regularly and are constantly in competition with each other...”

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

“Excellent and informative...”

There are hundreds of tools on the market that offer site inspection software, checklists, questions to ask. A good plan might be to rate each point with a number from one to five (five being the best “award”). The hotel that receives the most “fours” for example, becomes the group’s own Four Star hotel. In this way, the planner is able to set standards that always match the criteria of the group, and for repeat clients the process becomes increasingly straightforward.

An interesting development which will probably see the demise of the Star system, if it hasn’t all but disappeared already, is with hotel and travel incentive programs. Like the airline point system, hotel brands such as Starwood and Marriott reward guests for staying with them regularly and are constantly in competition with each other to raise the bar on keeping clients within the Family. We will be looking at these and other incentives designed with planners and corporate guests in mind, in a future issue.

Jyl Ashton Cunningham, CMP is an Associate Editor of the Planner and owner of JAAC Events in Oakville, Ontario. info@jaacevents.com.

Jyl would love your feedback on any of her articles.

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

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

FEBRUARY ’07

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Is your exhibit program living up to its potential?

BY BARRY SISKIND

W

hen I reflect on my childhood, these words spoken by my teachers still haunt me: “He has the ability but he is not living up to his potential.”

The same comment can be applied to all parts of your life from your career choice to your exhibit program. In each case, you need to know if you are living up to your potential. If not, then you are wasting an incredible amount of energy, resources, hope and talents. Living up to your potential demands that you strive to be the best you can be at all times and that is often a tall order to fill.

Let’s look at your exhibit program. Are you getting stellar results for your effort or are your results suffering from a lackluster malaise due to complacency? Do you even know the results you are getting?

An exhibit marketing program has the ability of helping you achieve lofty goals. It requires some real soul-searching to ensure your efforts live up to your expectations. Statistics prove that a trade shows or special events can help you achieve your marketing goals. It’s your job to help it reach its potential.

The Six Questions you need to ask yourself about your exhibit program.

1. Do you have internal commitment?

It’s one thing to have your sales or marketing department support your exhibit program but real success comes when support can be found throughout your entire organization from your CEO on down.

2. Have you balanced your resources?

There are three resources you need: financial, human and logistical. Each is a necessary component and must be carefully balanced in order to ensure your success.

3. Have you allocated enough time?

A successful program not only requires tapping into many internal resources, but it also needs time to bring your plans to fruition. An exhibit program is a 12-months-a-year responsibility. Exhibit managers who leave things to the last minute will do their program more harm than good.

4. Have you established your success metrics?

An exhibit marketing program is not carved in stone. It is continuously evolving. In order to know what to improve you need to establish the metrics (standards of measurement) that will allow you to quickly measure and evaluate your results.

5. Have you integrated your exhibit program with other marketing efforts?

Your exhibit program is not a standalone activity. It is one piece of your

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“marketing pie.” To gain maximum impact it must reinforce the key elements such as logos, colors, images and messages found in your overall marketing efforts.

6. Do you and your advisors understand the medium?

Marketing is divided into specialties: print, television, radio, media buying, etc. All too often you will hear from one of your specialists who is proficient in one area that they can also help you with your exhibit marketing plans. Exhibit marketing requires the input from people who specialize in this medium. You need people who can guide you professionally through the maze of decisions that are needed.

These six questions are only the beginning. However, without the right answers your efforts are doomed before you start.

Barry Siskind is author of Powerful Exhibit Marketing. You can order your signed copy from Barry’s Web site www. siskindtraining.com or by visiting www.amazon.com.

••• 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.

FEBRUARY ’07

Porter offers alternative for frequent fliers

BY STACEY ROBINSON

T

his morning, I flew Canada’s newest airline, Porter – the much talked about airline that’s just started running commercial flights between Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa out of the downtown Toronto Island airport.

They’ve branded themselves as something different; most notably, you don’t have to get there two hours prior to take-off! It was perfect for me, as I caught the 6:45 a.m. flight from Toronto to Montreal for a client meeting.

Unlike my usual 25 minute, $60 cab ride to Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, Porter was a pleasure to get to from my downtown condominium. The terminal was sleek and modern, and the staff was very friendly and helpful.

Here’s my travelogue for my commute from home to Montreal on the 6:45 a.m. flight on January 19: 5:45 a.m: Taxi arrives 5:55 a.m.: Arrive at the terminal. Go down the flight of stairs into a circular waiting room where you have the option to print your boarding pass at the self-serve kiosk ahead of time.

5:58 a.m.: I get on the ferry.

6:00 a.m.: Ferry departs.

6:04 a.m.: Ferry arrives at departure gate on the island, which is approximately 120 metres from the Toronto side.

6:10 a.m.: I’m through security and heading into the departure lounge. It’s like a very nicely-designed boutique hotel in warm neutral tones with comfortable leather chairs, stools,

a coffee bar and espresso machine and a cooler full of cold drinks and a basket of cookies. I decide to relax and check for any early morning E-mails with the complimentary wireless Internet service – love it!

6:35 a.m.: Boarding call – a short jaunt out to the plane where I am greeted by an exceptionally pleasant flight attendant in a retro-style uniform with a modern twist, complete with a pillbox hat.

6:42 a.m.: Doors closed and pre-flight announcements begin. I locate my comfortable leather seat on the Bombardier Q400, sit down and relax before take-off.

6:45 a.m.: We pull away from the gate.

6:49: Wheels up 7:04: A boxed breakfast is distributed; low-fat yogurt, granola, apple-cinnamon muffin; Along with a cup of coffee served in a ceramic mug.

8:05: We land in Montreal.

8:12: Depart and hit the terminal 8:18: My client has arrived for my pick-up.

That would put me door-to-door in 2.5 hours. Fabulous! And a generous savings on cab fare too!

I will definitely recommend Porter to my clients, friends and family. It’s a solid brand with great service – talk about added value. Flying Porter was truly an uplifting experience and a welcome change for short-haul travelers alike.

For more information on the airline, reservations, and future flight plans, visit www.flyporter.com.

Stacey Robinson is a graphic designer based in Toronto. She can be reached at: stacer12@hotmail.com.

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FEBRUARY ’07

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Sugaring off is a springtime treat

BY LEO GERVAIS

I

n 19th century Quebec, the sugaring off was a raucous party in the woods attended by farmers and villagers celebrating the production of the first batch of molten maple sugar from sap and the beginning of spring, specifically in March, April and May. Sugar season began, as it does today, with a late-winter break in frigid weather. The trees are “tapped” by chopping a slanted notch into the maple bark, driving a gouge into the tree beneath the notch, and inserting a wooden shingle or trough in the gouge. The clear sap drips from the trough into a bucket from which it is collected and heated until it becomes dark, sweet syrup.

The new inhabitants of North America learned their techniques from the native Amerindians who used tomahawks and boiled water in cauldrons made of cooked earth.

It takes about 40 litres of sap to make one litre of syrup, hence its luxury selling point. Currently in Canada, and mainly in Quebec, some 80 million litres of syrup are produced each year, nearly 83 percent of the world output. The United Stets produces the remaining 17 percent.

After a cold night, and as soon as the temperature begins to rise above freezing during the day, the maple bushes come alive with activity and the sap flows almost as quickly as the melting snow. This is maple syrup time.

When the nights are cold and the days warm, the sap runs. to Ohio and Michigan. All the world’s pure maple products come from this area. Cane sugar is far more common across the globe, and since 1885 it has undersold maple sugar. Since then, maple has become a luxury, not a staple.

The maple leaf: A symbol of Canada The maple leaf is the central component of Canada’s flag and also adorns the sweater of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League.

While we mostly want to use it on pancakes and waffles, the natives used it to cook venison. Early Quebec settlers found it to be exquisite in beans and as a condiment to other fare. At today’s sugar shacks, people are treated to traditional cabane à sucre food like pea soup, maple-cured ham, omelettes, and desserts like sugar pie and “grand-pères” which are dumplings poached in maple syrup.

There are many maple syrup operations not far from Quebec’s major cities, so consider visiting a cabane à sucre for your next springtime event – it’s a sweet option for planners looking to try something different.

The cabane à sucre is a social event To really understand the camaraderie and joy of the sugaring off experience, you need to visit a sugar shack (cabane à sucre) where you will see first-hand the skill and labour involved to procure the syrup from the the Sugar maples, a slow-growing tree that is famous for other things besides its syrup.

The Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) is native only to northeast North America including Quebec, Ontario, the maritime provinces and the New England States and westward through

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FEBRUARY ’07

Halifax to host East Coast Music Awards From February 15-18, Halifax will play host to the 2007 East Coast Music Awards, conference and festival. This is the 19th year for the ECMAs which attracts more than 50,000 music fans and 2,000 industry representatives and performers annually. This four-day music and industry extravaganza celebrates industry achievements and showcases Atlantic Canadian talent.The event wraps up with the Gala Awards Show at the Halifax Metro Centre on February 18. The Awards show will be broadcast live across Canada on CBC Television.

This year’s nominees include popular Nova Scotian acts like George Canyon, JP Cormier, In-flight Safety, Jill Barber, Joel Plaskett, and Sloan. Among the countless other talented East Coast artists, these performers are available year-round for meetings and events staged on the East Coast.

More than 250 of Canada’s best figure skaters gathered in Halifax from January 15-21 to compete in the 2007 BMO Financial Group Canadian Championships. Results from the seven day event, which took place at the Halifax Metro Centre determined who will represent Canada at the next ISU World Figure Skating Championships, and several other championship events. The Halifax Metro Centre has been the site of several international skating events over the years, including Skate Canada International (1983, 1997, 2004) and the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in 1990.

– Submitted by Lindsay Mills of Agenda Managers. You can contact them at: www.agendamanagers.com.

FEBRUARY ’07

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Multitasking: What are the risks?

BY STACEY HANKE

tener and block out distractions, you’ll understand the true meaning of their message while identifying what they need.

3. When communicating over the phone, avoid the temptation to complete other tasks. Studies show it’s too difficult to switch from one task to another and you’ll miss the need. Your listener will perceive you as preoccupied, uninterested or even annoyed by their call.

4. Organize your to-do list every day. If you don’t know what you should be doing, how can you manage your time to do it? Identify which organizational tool works best for you to complete your daily task: writing a list, using Outlook or using another computer program.

5. Know when you work best. Each person has a best time.

You can discover yours by monitoring your productivity over a period of time. Then you need to manage your schedule to keep your best time free for your most important work.

6. If you communicate via E-mail, take action on an E-mail as soon as you read it. The ability to process information, prioritize this information and turn it into action is a critical skill for advancement within the workplace today. Organize E-mail in file folders. If the message needs more thought, move it to your to-do list. If it’s for reference, print it out. If it’s a meeting, move it to your calendar.

7. Ask for immediate feedback from co-workers, family and friends to identify when you’re multitasking. Their feedback will increase your awareness of when you tend to multitask: when you’re busy, under a lot of stress or bored.

8. For the times you must multi-task, be careful not to sacrifice member service. If you’re communicating over the phone, explain what you’re doing — taking notes, looking for information, etc. The same technique applies when you’re communicating face-to-face. The listener is more forgiving of the number of tasks you’re completing when they see and understand that what you’re doing is for them. Remember, your goal is to build a lasting relationship, through influence and persuasion, not destroy it.

I

f you’re like me, your calendar is overwhelming with all of the commitments, responsibilities and tasks you’ve promised to achieve in 2007. We’re busier than ever, which is why we’ve probably switched to multi-tasking. We focus our conscious awareness in more than one place at a time daily. Once thought of as a critical time-management skill, multi-tasking has been scientifically proven to impair memory, increase stress and make us LESS productive.

As a result, our communication suffers and we run the risk of misinterpretation and a lack of effectiveness.

Newly released results of scientific studies in multitasking indicate that carrying on several duties at once may, in fact, reduce productivity, not increase it. For various types of tasks, subjects lost time when they had to switch from one task to another. Multi-tasking can prevent you from getting things done, according to the American Psychological Association.

Rule activation itself takes significant amounts of time, several tenths of a second – which can add up when people switch back and forth repeatedly between tasks. Thus, multitasking may seem more efficient on the surface, but may actually take more time in the end.

Perception is reality. The perception your listeners create when they see and hear you multi-tasking has a negative impact on your ability to influence them to take action.

Whether you’re communicating over the phone or in person, your listener creates a perception that says: • Insincerity • Lack of professionalism, knowledge and organization • Lack of thoughtfulness • You don’t care about the listener

Quick tips for managing your time 1. One size does not fit all. Find what works for you and stick to it!

2. When you’re communicating, put 100 percent of your focus on being present. It’s okay to pause your tasks as you listen to individuals needs. When you’re able to focus on the lis-

The benefits of avoiding too many tasks When you avoid multitasking you’ll realize how much easier it is to think on your feet, organize your thoughts and get to the point. As a result your listeners will perceive you as more attentive, professional and credible.

Isn’t it worth the effort to focus on one thing at a time making sure you don’t miss a beat and creating a positive impression every time?

•••

$17 MILLION The amount meetings and conventions were worth to Prince Edward Island in 2006.

SOURCE: KIM GREEN, CEO

OF

Stacey Hanke is an executive consultant, author, coach and speaker with 1st Impression Consulting, Inc. in Chicago, Ill. Contact her at: stacey.hanke@1stimpressionconsulting.com or (773) 209-5970.

TOURISM CHARLOTTETOWN

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FEBRUARY ’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 25.

Solution, page 25.

TIPS OF THE MONTH: It is common for some Sudoku puzzles to take days to complete. But there is not a Sudoku that can’t be solved, given enough time...

It is possible to be a little over zealous with marking up the grid with your pencil, so try to keep it uncluttered and easy to read – keep an eraser handy!

FEBRUARY ’07

11

How to invest in your RRSP Using experts to help you is just one way to invest well

BY MICHAEL MCATEER

A

lbert Einstein declared compounding to be the greatest mathematical invention of all time. The sooner you put your contributions into your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), the faster you will take advantage of its magical effects. The best strategy you can adopt is to start your retirement plan early in your work life, and make your annual RRSP contributions every year.

What next? You are probably already receiving investment advice because your RRSP is held with a financial intermediary – possibly a bank, a stockbroker or mutual fund dealer or an insurance company. The representative attached to your account is laying out a menu of products for you to choose from, presumably with some professional guidance to assure that your selection is appropriate.

You don’t have investment experience so all you can do is trust that the recommendations you receive are the right ones. Is this good enough? Maybe not if the objective is to maximize the size of your retirement nest egg. The problem lies in the cost of those products.

To simplify things let me suggest that there are two types of investments: those that come with a guarantee and those that do not. Guaranteed Investment Certificates and bonds come with a guarantee to give your capital back to you (along with regular interest payments), but to grow or compound your retirement nest egg at the maximum rate you will need to own equities which historically have outperformed guaranteed fixed income investments. That’s right, you will invest in the stock market, likely by way of mutual funds, and accept the risk for doing so.

The stock markets are probably the most well studied organizations in

human history – if there is money to be made there, there will be no shortage of people trying to figure out how to do it more efficiently. The analysis of company financials, economic conditions, investor psychology; even the effect of geomagnetic storms have been studied to explain why stock prices move up and down.

If you think the latter explanation comes from the lunatic fringe, consider that it was the subject of a working paper published by the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta in 2003. The good news is that all of this research is filtered by investors who collectively set the prices for equities on the stock exchanges based on whether they feel a company’s shares are too expensive or too cheap. Buy low and sell high is the mantra for making money on the stock market.

Don’t be an expert – hire one Fortunately you do not need to be an expert in finance to invest in the stock market.

Mutual funds allow investors like you to pool their funds and hire a portfolio manager who presumably does have the knowledge and experience to pick the winners and avoid the losers. Or so you would think, but the reality is that a majority of mutual fund managers do not outperform the stock markets. In fact in the year 2005, the S&P TSX Composite Index beat over 87 percent of all active managers according to the Standard and Poors Indices Versus Active Funds (SPIVA) scorecard.

Less than one third of actively managed Canadian mutual funds have outperformed the same index over the last five years. It’s hard for one investment manager to gain an advantage over another when crucial information is available to everyone at the same time and stock prices are quickly set to adjust for new valuations. You pretty much get what the market gives you.

Fund companies charge a fee to manage your investment and this is money that is subtracted from your nest egg on 12

a regular basis, so the argument is this: Why should I pay fees to a mutual fund company when it is unlikely that the fund manager will outperform the market? It’s a relevant question now that investors can “buy” the market via exchange traded funds which replicate the major stock indexes but do not actively manage the stocks in the basket.

Their fees are very low because the management is “passive.”

Exchange traded funds are gaining in popularity but they are not likely to displace mutual funds entirely. For one thing, to save the greater part of the management cost, you will have to purchase the ETF on your own through a discount broker and pay a commission, albeit a reduced one. Any dividend income will be deposited to your account but you are on your own to reinvest it. Mutual funds still have the advantage in that you can make small purchases on a regular basis and elect to have all the income reinvested back into the fund automatically. The convenience factor counts for a lot when you want to maintain a disciplined savings strategy

Mutual funds charge fees, so shop and compare There are many mutual funds out there that charge high fees and yet consistently underperform the market, sometimes by a lot. These funds should be avoided. If a mutual fund’s historical returns are under those of the market index but generally fairly close, it may still be a good candidate for your portfolio.

The question you must ask yourself and your advisor is what is the dollar amount of fees I am charged, both to buy the fund and charged on an annual basis.

Part of the management expense fee which comes out of your portfolio is used to compensate the advisor who sold you the fund. An annual fee of one percent paid directly to the advisor is not uncommon. See page 13.

FEBRUARY ’07

Look at all the cost Industry news factors before you Is three inches enough? make a final decision Apparently yes, if you’re Southwest From page 12.

Once you have tallied up the dollars that you will be paying from your nest egg in the form of fees and commissions, you must step back and evaluate the offer. If statistically you are unlikely to get a higher return from this fund than from a product which is much cheaper, such as an exchange traded fund, or a mutual fund with a lower management expense ratio, then the value to you for owning the fund must be derived from the ongoing service the advisor is offering you.

Is he or she doing a financial plan for you? Do they offer a particular expertise that can be advantageous for you? You decide the value of their service, and by establishing your cost in actual dollars you can relate it to the cost of service from other providers.

Is the cost of management of your mutual funds important? Ask your advisor what the difference of one percent of return in your portfolio makes when compounded over 10, 20 or 30 years.

A few important internet-based resources for anyone investing in mutual funds is www.morningstar.com and www.morningstar.ca for Canada, and www.globefund.com. These sites provide historical rate of return data as well as fund expense data. Also read the fund’s prospectus before you buy.

•••

Airlines. The American carrier decided recently to standardize the degree of maximum recline to three inches of its seats after discovering that it varied from 2 inches to 4.5 inches.

The adjustments will be made as planes go in for major maintenance work. Apparently, people were having trouble using a laptop behind a seat that fully reclined 4.5 inches.

A 2004 Travelocity poll of 1,300 customers found that almost one third said they recline their seats “frequently” or “all the time.”

Some fliers have taken to using the knee defender (www.kneedefender.com) to ward off unsolicited reclining attacks, but some airlines have banned them.

London hotels are a trifle expensive for Net access Need to use the Internet while staying in a hotel in London? Know this before you book your hotel room: London hotels are among the most expensive in Europe for guests who want Internet access.

Reuters reports that a survey carried

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

The Planner’s Creed Vision to see Faith to believe Courage to do FEBRUARY ’07

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out by Internet company Webaroo, found that top hotels in the capital charge an average of 19.70 pounds for 24-hour period and Ritz charge 20 pounds.

That’s not all. Some hotels also place a limit on the amount of data you can receive in that period, preventing large downloads or the sending of presentation files without extraordinary surcharges.

Webaroo checked between 10 and 15 hotels in each of the 11 places investigated, including Dublin, Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Barcelona.

On the Web: www.webaroo.com.

Resolve to have a better life Health, happiness and homelife are common things people resolve to improve

Try some simple exercises that can be done whilst being engaged in another activity – all planners are good at multitasking! Here are some recommendations from Verna Andrews, a registered nurse and one of the busiest people I know. Follow them regularly and you will unconsciously add 20 – 40 minutes a day of gentle exercise to your life without changing the rest of your routine in anyway.

BY JYL ASHTON CUNNINGHAM, CMP

1. While cleaning your teeth, rise up on your toes and back down slowly 30 times. This equates to about 2 minutes, so your teeth will sparkle.

2. Whilst blow drying your hair, rotate your hips in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. Do this for about 8 minutes. If your hair still needs attention, contract your stomach muscles and pull your tummy upwards into your “core”, hold and count to 10 then relax. Repeat 8 times.

3. Whilst standing on the bus or subway, tighten your glute muscles as hard as you can, hold to the count of 10 and relax.

Repeat 8 times. The funny looks you will get will be replaced by looks of admiration in a few months when summer arrives!

4. Whilst sitting at your desk, on a plane etc, do some isometrics, aimed at keeping all your joints supple and free of cricks. Start at the neck and move from side to side, up and down and circular motions. Move each joint in your body in turn. Do this as often as possible during the day.

5. For aerobic exercise, force yourself to leave your desk and walk for 15 to 20 minutes as fast as you can to anywhere, preferably outside.

Okay, hands up who made New Year Resolutions... Now, put the other hand up if you already broke them!

Don’t worry, you are certainly not alone and none is here to judge. The following article will seek to understand why we are compelled annually to set ourselves up for failure by making resolutions we cannot hope to keep. Some of the most popular are outlined below, with reasons on why they fail and some even better reasons for why they shouldn’t. Each resolution is offered with the planner in mind. Notice how the resolutions somehow have a domino effect on each other.

I WILL GO TO THE GYM MORE I don’t know about everyone else out there, but my trainers have been for more walks in my suitcase than they ever have on my feet. How many times have planners religiously packed gym attire with honest intentions of using the hotel gym whilst on a program? Unless one has the stamina of a gazelle, the keep fit resolution soon wears off after working a 17 hour day. In regular work time, it takes a lot of willpower to stop between office and home, change and jump about for an hour before preparing dinner.

Everyone knows that working out is really important.

Exercise burns fat and builds muscle and stamina, creating endorphins which put people in good moods. So why is exercise commonly such a low priority? Why is something that has almost no negative aspects to it so hard to stick to? I have no clue, however I may have found a time-saving solution.

I will make healthy food choices Easier said than done, or is it? Most planners who manage meetings and incentives are responsible for ordering the delegates’ food and yet live on scraps snatched from the lunch buffet, granola bars and coffee for days on end.

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The best resolution of all: Look after yourself first Eating healthily results in better organ and muscle function, clearer eyes, stronger teeth and bones, less wrinkled skin and a happier digestive system. This is not news and yet a large percentage of the Canadian population is chronically unfit, obese and undernourished. Are we so unimportant to ourselves that we don’t care how we fuel our bodies?

I recently started a new tactic. I pretend that I am one of my clients and I have to treat myself accordingly. Sounds crazy, but it’s amazing how much more effective than a resolution it has been. When ordering a meal, simply ask “What would I feed my client?” and the result should be a much more nutritious option. I’ll keep you posted as to the long term effects.

When responsible for staff on site, make a point of costing staff meals into the program budget, show them as a line item and ensure that time is taken to relax and enjoy each meal. Contrary to popular belief, eating is allowed during a program and your staff and delegates will all be much happier as a result!

briefly put out - they will simply ask someone else. Don’t offer any excuses, simply decline politely. If a quick escape is just not feasible, explain that you need to consult your agenda, spouse, boss etc and buy some time before you eventually say no.

Remember that to say yes and then do a bad job, or worse, quit half way through a commitment, is far more damaging to a business or personal reputation.

I am reminded of the old expression “One might as well play for nothing as work for nothing”. This is not to say that all benevolent work and good deeds should be curtailed, rather that a limit is set on the amount of precious time given away.

The common thread in all of the above is that each resolution ultimately only affects the person who made it.

The domino effect lies in healthy choices affecting healthy lifestyle, affecting healthy work environment.

As planners, we are often guilty of neglecting to plan the most important event of all – our own life.

The only resolution you need to make, is to look after yourself first. It’s that simple!

If you can’t follow through, don’t make the promise

I will manage my time better Sure you will. This has to be the all-time, “doomed to failure” resolution. Daytimers, computer programs, calendars, pop-up reminders, post-it notes, Blackberries, etc - all designed to make people more efficient, the only trouble being that they have to have data entered into them by the owner to work, and the owner is generally too busy using the time in other ways!

The only real way to manage time is to identify the areas where it is being abused. Once the time wasting elements are singled out and eliminated, an immediate improvement will be seen. This could mean hiring people to do jobs that you hate, such as cleaning, book-keeping, decorating etc. However it is money well spent as you no longer resent spending time on such activities, you know they are being done well by professionals, leaving you to concentrate on what you do best, whatever it may be.

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.

I will do what I promise and follow through with what I commit to This is not a resolution, it’s a rule and one that can’t be broken. No ifs, ands or buts. If you can’t follow through, don’t make the promise and cancel the resolution from your list for all time.

I will learn to say no This is something we teach our kids all the time, although not for the same reasons. Isn’t the objective the same though?

That it’s okay to say no, even though the person asking will be

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his month’s Planner survey reveals that depending on the type of amenity offered, planners may take it home with them. Amenities include everything from food like chocolates and fruit to drinks such as bottled water and coffee to magazines, sewing kits and shoe polishers.

Looking at our results, it is very apparent that amenities are important to meeting planners, especially bath products. The least favourite amenity was parking.

But amenities are probably not the most important thing: Kent Sexton of Hamister hospitality said recently that he found that providing very clean rooms and improving staff helpfullness resulted in improved occupancy.

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Morelia: Mexico’s little jewel

BY LEO GERVAIS

O

nce in a while, you travel to a place that takes you completely by surprise, a little jewel when you least expect it.

Morelia is exactly this type of place.

Nestled about 303 (186 miles) km northwest of Mexico City, Morelia is one of the country’s most significant colonial cities and is also the capital of the State of Michoacan.

Morelia is replete with elegant Spanish Colonial architecture; pink stone and baroque styles dominate the city. In 1991, UNESCO named Morelia a World Heritage Site so if exploring world-renowned architectural works is your passion, this is the place – there are more than 1,100 listed in Morelia.

A few places of note for planners include the Villa Montana Hotel and Spa, which features 36 luxurious villa-style suites and meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 150 people; the Hotel Virrey de Mendoza, a marvelous 400-year-old former mansion that faces the famous city square and the Catedral de Morelia. The Ceconexpo convention centre features an exhibition hall with a capacity of up to 220 booths, a 1,300-person theatre and an orquidario, a greenhouse with beautiful orchids.

The Fiesta Inn Hotel is located close to the convention centre.

Finally, the Restaurante San Miguelito has great food and the Rincon de las Solteronas or “old maids corner” with its shrine of 500 upside down statues of St. Anthony (the patron saint of lonelyhearts). The good saint is turned upside down to motivate him to help the lovelorn, after they leave 13 coins, light a votive candle and register their personal data in the book of Petitions, Miracles and Thanksgiving.

Patzcuaro is a great side trip

back to the Aztec civilization and is usually celebrated on November 1, but is a much more festive holiday than Halloween. People decorate their homes with colourful floral arrangements and objects they believe their departed loved ones would like to see.

Not to be missed: Lake Patzcuaro /Island of Janitzio About two miles southeast of the town's center are the shores of Lago de Patzcuaro (Lake Patzcuaro) and the the island of Janitzio. Frequent boats will take you across from Patzcuaro to the island. At the top of Janitzio, there is an impressive statue of Jose Maria Morelos in honor of one of Mexico's greatest revolutionary heroes and for whom the city of Morelia is named. It is about a 20-minute walk up to the top of the island through the town, then you can climb the stairs inside the statue to see the great panoramic views from the top.

In a recent interview with The Planner, Francisco Xavier Lopez Mena, CEO of the Mexico Tourism Board said the MTB is working hard to show planners the great ROI of places like Morelia, one of several “...cities with excellent facilities for meeting planners and also good laws that help promote business tourism such as the 0 % VAT (Tasa Cero), which means no tax on convention business coming from outside Mexico.”

Eduardo Chaillo, CMP, and Regional Director for the USA & Canada of the MTB, adds that changing perceptions is important.

“The MTB is helping to develop education in the convention industry (e.g. certifications like CMP, CMM) because it is important to speak the same language as their clients,” he said.

Mexicana Airlines flies directly to Mexico City from Toronto several times per week. I found their friendly service to be very efficient and recommend trying their easy-to-use Web site for booking flights.

On the Web: www.visitmorelia.com www.villamontana.com.mx www.hotelvirrey.com www.ceconexpo.com www.mexicana.com www.visitmexico.com

Nearby Morelia is Patzcuaro. Just 40 miles southwest of Morelia, this quaint town with its indigenous feel makes a perfect day-trip from Morelia, but I suggest staying overnight.

This town is famous for its crafts and Day of the Dead celebrations, a national holiday when Mexican families remember their dead and the continuity of life. It is a tradition that dates

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Keeping those New Year’s resolutions

BY BOB URICHUCK It is those daily behaviors, and when you implement them, that will make a big difference in your level of success. Once you identify these behaviors and times and stick to them, watch your time management skills and results improve dramatically.

Behaviour, like attitude, starts with you. What you do for a living is a choice you made. But there is a reason you made that choice and that choice goes beyond making money. Sure money has something to do with it, but it is not the money that gets you out of bed in the morning – it is what you want to do with the money that keeps you motivated. It is the realization of your dreams, and dreams can be realized when you take the time to organize, plan and put your plan into action.

You have to decide what you want to do, plan it out and discipline yourself to make it happen, from the inside out, not the outside in. I’ve seen people overcome stuttering, go from rags to riches and from having no self-confidence to boasting great confidence in themselves. How? They determined what they wanted, created a plan, complete with action steps, and then monitored and measured their progress. They very literally disciplined themselves to make it happen.

O

lympic champion sprinter Jesse Owens said, “We all have dreams, but in order to make these dreams into reality it takes an awful lot of determination, selfdiscipline and effort.”

Keeping New Year’s resolutions, and following through on goals, requires that same determination, self-discipline and effort to be successful. First, we need to understand the meaning of each of these words: • Determination is the power or habit of deciding definitely and firmly with a direction to a certain end result.

• Discipline is a commitment to yourself, to do what you have to do even when you don't want to do it.

• Effort is the amount of the total work done to reach a particular end result.

• Success is the progressive realization of worthwhile goals.

Goals are resolutions – they are what motivates us.

Resolutions, like goals, are our desires. Without goals or resolutions, there is no reason to act, no motivation to take daily actions or go the extra mile.

Key factors in making a successful resolution are first, a person’s confidence that he or she can make a change in behavior, and secondly, their commitment (discipline) to making that change.

Behavior is the manner in which you conduct yourself. It is the way you behave, the way you act, function or react.

Appropriate behavior drives opportunities as you will learn to target your efforts. Opportunities come from setting goals, S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and tangible) goals to be precise. What do you want out of your life, career or business? Who could determine this for you and who can make it happen? What are the daily behaviors that you must apply to live the life of your dreams or to make your career or business a success?

Setting a goal is a first step One of the greatest things I discovered working in sales was how we were always setting sales targets and objectives, and being measured against them. This is a good practice and keeps us focus on our sales targets. So why not apply those same goal setting and monitoring strategies on our personal lives so that we too can stay focused on our dreams and end up where we want to be.

Today, in most organizations, management devotes enormous energy to setting work objectives and conducting performance reviews for individual employees. Corporations go through this time-consuming and costly exercise to ensure the most favorable results for their firm. See page 19.

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BOOK REVIEW Life’s missing Instruction manual

BY HARRIET WEZENA Life’s Missing Instruction Manual: The guidebook you should have been given at birth has arrived.

And in it, author Joe Vitale, founder and president of the Hypnotic Marketing, Inc, offers precise and short life lessons from Internet celebrities, motivational speakers and writers that help you live your life to the fullest.

It is divided into eight chapters: “You: Congratulations on your life,” “Internal Capabilities: Understanding your life’s Potential,” “External Connections: Caring for Others in Your Life,” “Optimum Performance: Getting the best Out of Your Life,” and “Proper Usage: Defining Your Life’s Purpose” among

others. Each has several sub-headings that comprise bits of wisdom and anecdotes very true to life.

In chapter one, you will find subheads including “Your feelings Are Your Hidden Thoughts,” “You Can Be Happy Now,” and “Everything is A Projection From the Inside.” You may find this hard to believe at first, “but everything in your life is a projection from the shadow side of your own mind,” writes Vitale.

Adding to change anything, you must change the inside.

Life’s Missing Instruction Manual is, simply put, what you need to read in order to turn your life around, understand yourself better and have direction in your life to achieve your dreams or be successful.

But Vitale warns, “ the quest for perfection will stop you from getting results throughout your life.” He argues that perfection is a relative term. So just do your best and let go.

In simple, straightforward rendered prose that makes you keep turning the pages, you will learn how to reclaim your self-esteem. You will come to believe the assertion by Dr. Joe Rubino that, “We all possess the ability to overcome obstacles, achieve meaningful accomplishments, honor our most important values, attain happiness and contribute to our special, unique gifts to others.”

This book is a good map for anyone who is looking for that pep talk to get started, and to live their dream.

Book: Life’s Missing Instruction Manual: The Guidebook You Should Have Been Given At Birth Author: Joe Vitale Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

ISBN: O-471-768499 Price: $13.57 on www.amazon.com

Measuring and monitoring your progress is vital to success From page 18.

In professions such as sales, considerable time is spent questioning, listening, discovering and understanding the needs of clients in order to provide a recommended solution or action plan.

In contrast, how much time and energy do you expend discovering your own needs and desires, and then consciously setting objectives, developing action plans with measurable performance standards, and finally reviewing your own performance? By engaging in such an exercise, you will be doing something about your life. You will be going to work on yourself, for yourself. This is where the real behavior has to start.

I refer you to my book Online for Life: The 12 Disciplines for Living Your Dreams. The exercises in Disciplines 5, 6, 7 and 8 will help you to discover your dreams, organize them into a sense of priority and help you to determine if you are prepared to pay the price (effort) to make those dreams a reality.

When you believe in your resolutions (dreams), nothing but self-imposed limitations will stop you from achieving them.

Your first step is to define your resolutions as goals. A goal is a specific and measurable result that must be achieved within

FEBRUARY ’07

specified time, resource and cost constraints. A goal is an end, a result, and not just a task to be performed. It describes the condition we want to achieve. Our goals guide our actions and help us plan at work and at home. When we focus on our goals, our present is determined by our future, not our past. Keep in mind that your resolutions (goals) are an extension of your values.

Finally, you need to measure and monitor your progress on an ongoing basis. Without some form of monitoring you will not be able to recognize your progress and reward yourself accordingly. This is where Discipline 11 comes in with the Monthly Monitor Chart. It helps keep you on track and makes discipline a habit by recognizing appropriate behavior. Remember, any behavior that gets recognized or rewarded gets repeated.

Bob Urichuck is an international professional speaker, trainer, consultant and author and a Platinum Speaker for Meeting Planners International (MPI). Bob is also the founding president of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS) Ottawa and is a Certified Sales Professional (CSP).

To get an autographed copy of Online for Life visit www.bobu.com, E-mail bob@bobu.com or call toll free: 1-877-658-8224.

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

What is a botnet?

Botnet: The most potent weapon for Web gangsters is the botnet.

A bot, broadly speaking, is a remote-controlled software program that is installed on a computer without the owner's knowledge.

Hackers use viruses, worms, or automated programs to scan the Internet in search of potential zombies. One recent study found that a new P.C., attached to the Internet without protective software, will on average be infected in about twenty minutes In the most common scenario, the bots surreptitiously connect hundreds, or thousands, of zombies [hijacked computers] to a channel in a chat room. The process is called 'herding,' and a herd of zombies is called a botnet. The herder then issues orders to the zombies, telling them to send unsolicited e-mail, steal personal information, or launch attacks. Herders also trade, rent, and sell their zombies. “The botnet is the little engine that makes the evil of the Internet work,' Chris Morrow, a senior network-security engineer at MCI, said. “It makes spam work. It makes identity fraud work. It makes extortion ... work.”

SOURCE: EVAN RATLIFF, THE ZOMBIE HUNTERS, THE NEW YORKER, OCTOBER 10, 2005, P. 46

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F.Y.I. - Going green Looking for so-called “green” suppliers to help you do your bit to save the planet and make Al Gore and everyone else a happier camper?

Try pc/nametag, the Wisconsin-based supplier of all things related to planning meetings, and their World Badge. It works well with the Sporty2 No Spin Necklace, is easy to load, stack and ship.

Best of all, after the event, you can reuse them or recycle them as there are no permanent metal attachments.

On the Web: www.pcnametag.com.

The Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) was recently recognized as a national leader in environmental stewardship by winning the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) “GO Green” designation.

The Go Green program is a national environmental recognition and certification program for existing commercial buildings to recognize and reward buildings across Canada that show environmental leadership and environmental best practices.

Criteria for the BOMA Go Green program include ten minimum requirements including resource consumption, waste reduction and recycling, interior Environment and tenant awareness.

On the Web: www.mtccc.com.

FEBRUARY ’07

Websites of interest

D ATEBOOK Upcoming Events

Avoid the hassles of travelling www.flightstas.com As their homepage boldly states, “FlightStats transforms flight information into travel intelligence.” The site has real-time arrival and departure information for almost every flight in the world, the latest security regulations and up-to-the-minute weather conditions. Text alerts are available for flight delays and the site can even estimate how long you’re likely to wait at a security checkpoint near your departure gate. And it’s all free.

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.

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

Finding a good upgrade www.expertflyer.com For the princely sum of $5 per month this site offers the complete, up-to-date inventory of unsold seats for most major airlines, including unpublicized first-class tickets for the price of a last-minute coach fare. While ExpertFlyer can’t book your seat, it does provide you with all the info you’ll need to book that discounted ticket directly from the airline and save a bundle.

MARCH 18-20 Meeting Professionals International, Professional Education Conference-Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Contact: (972) 702-3000, www.mpiweb.org.

March 25-28 Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors International, Annual Conference, Renaissance Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore, Md. Contact: (877) 502-2233, www.acced-i.org.

Luxury travel guide www.miogps.com Now here’s a Web site with gadgets worth recommending to meeting planners. Chief among them is the H610 DigiWalker, a GPS navigator and complete PDA all in one.

Its world mate software can keep track of flights and weather all over the world, and it converts everything from currency to clothing sizes. It is priced at at U.S. $450 and was recently featured in Time magazine.

April 19-22 International Association of Conference Centers, Annual Conference, The Heldrich, new Brunswick, NJ. Contact: (314) 993-8575, www.iacconline.org.

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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

Have an event? E-mail us at info@theplanner.ca.

FEBRUARY ’07

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F.Y.I.

PCMA holds first Zero Waste Annual Meeting

Ghastly gaff grounds gassy gal It is considered polite to light a match after passing gas. But think twice before doing it on a plane.

An American Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing last December after a passenger lit a match to disguise the scent of flatulence, authorities said.

The Dallas-bound flight was diverted to Nashville after several passengers reported smelling burning sulfur from the matches, said Lynne Lowrance, spokeswoman for the Nashville International Airport Authority. All 99 passengers and five crew members were taken off and screened while the plane was searched and luggage was screened.

The FBI questioned a passenger who admitted she struck the matches in an attempt to conceal a “body odor,” Lowrance said.

She had an unspecified medical condition, authorities said.

“It’s humorous in a way but you feel sorry for the individual, as well,” she said. “It’s unusual that someone would go to those measures to cover it up.”

The flight took off again, but the woman was not allowed back on the plane. The woman, who was not identified, was not charged in the incident.

From January 7-10, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) hosted the 51st Professional Convention Management Association’s first international Annual Meeting.

More than 3,000 meeting industry professionals attended the event in Toronto, which offered more than 80 educational sessions.Key topics such as Strategic Planning, Event Management, Leadership and much more were presented, along with general sessions, roundtable discussions and great networking events where planners and suppliers of the meeting and event industry were able to share ideas and best practices.

In collaboration with the MTCC, the Chicago based association also took the lead in the new trend of green meetings.

Recycling has become one of the world’s top issues, and industry professionals have to face the reality that meetings and events can generate a lot of waste. From food to handouts, to transport, just one convention can turn into several tons of waste. When meeting and event planners try to find better ways to be more environmentally friendly, they had a great example to be inspired from at this annual meeting. Several green meetings sessions were presented and the MTCC in partnership with The Turtle Island Recycling Company put in place a remarkable recycling system. According to Barry Smith, President and CEO of MTCC, “...it costs U.S. $35,000 to $50,000 to hold a zero waste event of such a size (…) considering staff training, operations and compactors removal.”

The convention centre, winner of a Gold Award at this year’s Recycling Council of Ontario’s Waste Minimization Awards, has already adopted a green behavior but this was a first with an international conference.

Deborah Sexton, PCMA’s President and CEO, said “we want to set an example for all our members and holding a zero waste event can be expensive but is worth.” This concept will be incorporated in future PCMA meetings, she added.

Watch out for PCMA’s 52nd Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington in January 2008.

For more information, please visit www.pcma.org.

Have you implemented the green attitude in your events?

Tell us more and we will share your ideas with our readers.

Send your comments to info@theplanner.ca.

Book loving planners can donate The Fraser-Hickson Library in Montreal is looking to raise $5 million from donors. Established in 1885, it was Montreal’s first free library. Its endowment is dwindling and the city of Montreal is not contributing enough money to cover the operating costs. Pledges can be made at this new Web site: www.million.fraserfriends.org.

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Hotel News

The chain is expanding into China and the Asia Pacific region, with new properties slated to open in Beijing, Cairo and Dubai this year. With more than 200 hotels worldwide, Sofitel Hotels is the prestige brand of the Accor Hotel Group.

On the Web: www.sofitel.com.

IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN – UNLESS YOU’RE MARRIOTT Kermit the frog would be proud.

ROCCO FORTE HOTELS VOTED BEST CHAIN

Joining the fight to protect our climate, Marriot International, Inc. said this January it has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 70, 000 tons in one year – the equivalent of removing 10,000 cars – from U.S. streets.

This makes it the first hotel company to proactively join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Climate Leaders Program. Marriot has set a five-year goal to reduce greenhouse gases by six per cent per guest room by 2010 and launched Marriott’s Retro-commission (MRC) initiative last year to maximize energy in all U.S. hotels.

“Being green is good,” said Pat Maher, senior vice president, program management and engineering, Marriott International, Inc. “It’s important for the environment and saves our hotels money.”

Marriott’s next initiative focuses on improving recycling efforts through a pilot program to monitor and evaluate current waste management and recycling practices. The goal of the program is to streamline efforts and identify the most environmentally friendly, yet cost-efficient methods.

The company has been awarded more ENERGY STAR labels than any other hotel company and has been recognized as the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for Excellence in Energy Management for the past two years.

On the Web: www.marriott.com.

Luxury hotel collection Rocco Forte Hotels has been voted The Best Hotel Chain in the inaugural Luxury Travel Reader Awards.

Rocco Forte Hotels received the award during a luncheon at the London headquarters of Haymarket Publishing, the owners of Luxury Travel in January reports ehotelier.com.

The luxury chain, knocked, Four Seasons and One&Only Resorts, off the competition to take the award. The Rocco Forte’s Villa in Frankfurt, which opened in March 2006, also made the short list of three in The Best New Hotel category.

Rocco Forte Hotels was established in 1996 to create a collection of luxury hotels in Europe. Each hotel has a unique style, reflecting its nationality and location.

On the Web: www.roccofortehotels.com.

RITZ CARLTON BOSTON RENAMED THE TAJ BOSTON What’s in a name? Plenty, if you’re the RitzCarlton Boston, or should we say the Taj Boston?

New owner Indian-based Indian Hotels Co. acquired the Ritz from Millennium Partners in a U.S. $170 million deal sealed in January.

Whereas everything from logos to towels on the hotel’s TVs and phones will change, David Gibbons, general manager of Taj Boston and owner of Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, promises many traditions will be upheld. “Our company manages palaces in India, and we regard this property as an American palace of hospitality,” he said.

The Cafe will remain The Cafe; The Lounge will remain The Lounge. Many of the familiar Ritz staff will stay.

Gibbons also expects to spend “a lot of money'” on refreshing and refurbishing the hotel. Projects will include revamping the presidential and children's suites.

On the Web: www.lhw.com/TajBoston

SOFITEL HOTELS MAKES COVETED CONDE NAST TRAVELER’S GOLD LIST Ten Sofitel Hotels are on the list of the World’s Best 700 Hotels, Resorts and Cruise Lines, according to the readers of Conde Nast Traveler Magazine, in its January 2007 issue.

The list is the result of the 2006 Readers’ Choice Survey that 21,000 of the magazine’s subscribers completed. It is an indepth look and ranking of the world’s best properties and appeared in the magazine’s November issue. To understand the ratings attributed to each property, a team of editors at the magazine contacted readers to find out what made a particular room, view or locale unique in its own right.

Sofitel hotels exude a unique sensibility, l’art de vivre à la française (French art of living), which is embodied in the hotels’ high standards of service, alluring design, gourmet cuisine and thoughtful amenities.This focus is strengthened by relationships with renowned French personalities, including, architect Jean-Paul Viguier, interior designer Pierre Yves Rochon and Michelin-starred chefs.

Located in key business destinations throughout Europe, including London, Paris, Budapest and Brussels, Sofitel offers custom-made, ultra-plush MyBed bedding for a restful night’s sleep; wireless and/or high speed Internet access; 24-hour business and fitness centers; quiet library spaces and upscale French and international restaurants.

OMNI HOTELS GETS SENSITIVE The Omni Hotel Hotel chain, which consists of 40 luxury properties located throughout North America, has launched a program designed to tailor the sensory aspects of meetings held at its properties based on each meeting’s purpose.

The elements of Omni’s Sensational meetings program include decor, scents, sound tracks, temperature and lighting.

For brainstorming meetings, for example, planners can create a unique atmosphere with brightly-coloured decor, lighting with accents, upbeat music and peppermint scents.

Omni is currently offeringcustomization for three kinds of meetings: energetic meetings, challenging and recognition.

On the Web: www.omnihotels.com 24

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Trends for 2007 As the Canadian winter finally shows its face (well, at least for residents in the East), we ponder what is to come in 2007 – what does the future have in store for the planners across the land?

Here then are the trends we here at The Planner see coming to fruition in the coming months: • Sixty-five percent of corporate planners will plan events within 4-6 months • Conference centres will become more and more popular with planners • The #1 most important thing in selecting a hotel is the location, followed by price and service • Leisure travel will continue to outpace business travel as businesspeople attempt to use the latest technology as a surrogate for business travel whenever possible and appropriate to manage escalating air and lodging costs • The role of the Internet will dominate travel planning but will no longer grow • Comparison shopping of suppliers for fares and rates will become more commonplace as will inclusive pricing – one price for all services • Spa visits will increase as overworked planners seek ways to manage mounting stress in their lives • Hotel prices should remain flat as new hotel projects are completed. In fact, this might even drive prices down in some Canadian cities • Airlines will become stingier about expiration dates for air miles • Podcasting will grow – interviews, seminars, speeches and any other audio content specific to your event or organization can be done this way •More and more planners will use Meeting Matrix Silver to help them with their room diagramming and more venues will get certified with PCMA’s Space Verification Program • Blackberry usage will continue to grow as hotels discover the quality of service they can provide planners through their use • Videoconferencing will continue to grow and Web conferencing will increase in popularity • 24-hour services will become more in demand as planners may want to use exercise facilities or the business centre at hours convenient to them • More business travelers will switch credit cards from points to annual dividends (2% cash back) allowing them to buy what they want with the money as opposed to having to fight to redeem points • Service will become key again, as travelers have more time pressure. Hotels and services providing friendly and efficient service will come out ahead In the words of Wolfgang Hültner, CEO of the Americas Mandarin Hotel group, upon spotting a standout hotel: “The things hotels don’t make a lot of money on, standout hotels do them well anyway.”

Avoiding germs The most effective way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases is washing your hands. Yet it is estimated one in three people do not wash up after using the wshroom.

Here’s some tips to avoid infectious diseases every day: 1. Wash your hands thoroughly.

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2. Use soap and warm running water and rub hands together for 15 seconds, washing the front and back of your hands, as well as between fingers and under your nails 3. If you don’t have a tissue, cough into your upper sleeve, not your hands.

4. Be careful using the phones and keyboards at work – they are usually the most contaminated surfaces.

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iPod takes flight... literally iPod users will soon be able to connect their iPods to in-flight entertainment systems and listen o music or watch videos without fear of running out of battery power.

Air France, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, KLM and United Airlines will begin offering their passengers iPod seat connections which power and charge iPods during flight and allow the video content to be viewed on seatback displays. The service will begin in mid-2007.

One industry analysts says this is just another way for airlines to upgrade their entertainment systems. Microsoft Corp. recently launched its Zune digital-music this week in a bid to challenge the iPod, made by Apple.

To date, Apple has sold 70 million iPods and more than 1.5 billion songs through its iTunes music store.

ANSWER EASY SUDOKU FROM PAGE 11

ANSWER INTERMEDIATE SUDOKU FROM PAGE 11

Horoscope Genius and lunacy abound with this sign Aquarius

T

he Aquarian planner is free-spirited, analytical and unconventional. When it comes to romance, Aquarians are eccentrics who believe in playing by their own rules. No matter how often or how deeply you fall in love, there is always the fear that a relationship will stifle your independence. You value your autonomy above everything else.

Aquarian planners have a somewhat casual attitude regarding money. If you make some, that’s fine – if you don’t, that’s okay too. You aren’t materialistic and are unlikely to make career choices based on how much a job pays. You have a quirky way with finances, which is very much in character with the Aquarian personality. You have a real flair for making money, yet you don’t really care about it in the traditional sense. You have a generous nature, and it is common for you to help out friends and family members who may have money problems. Also, you believe in giving spontaneous gifts to the people you love.

Due to the fact that you are both brilliant and curious, Aquarians have plenty of interesting career options. Aquarius is known as the sign of inventiveness, brilliance and analytical skills. You have a way with words, and because of this you make an excellent journalist, (our editor, Leo Gervais, just happens to be an Aquarius) or writer. Jobs in the communications media also suit your tastes. You feel most comfortable when you work at your own pace, which is one of the reasons you don’t like being under someone’s supervision. Many Aquarians have the natural gift of entrepreneurship. Starting and running a business from your home is something you have the creativity and discipline to undertake. Despite the fact that you love people and cultivate interesting relationships, you are actually something of a lone wolf, so working on your own does not pose a problem for you.

Aquarius is often called the sign of friendship. It is true that you seem to collect friends in the way that other people collect antiques! For you, friends are the equivalent of family. If you aren’t close with your own family members, pals are likely to take the place of family in your life. You enjoy communicating your political, philosophical and spiritual ideas to friends and want to hear their opinions in return.

There is nothing an Aquarian likes better than a feisty debate on these issues. In fact, you may cultivate friendships with people based on the fact that they disagree with you, since you can have a succession of remarkable debates with them.

If you have any negative points in the art of friendship, it is your inability to get close to people on an emotional level. This might even be true of those you love dearly. So most of your friendships, though not superficial, are nonetheless based on intellectual rather than emotional factors.

Whether you are single or have a family, you are comfortable with friends coming and going at all hours. You love to talk on the phone and encourage your pals to call whenever they wish. Yet, there are times when you suddenly feel the need to withdraw into your own little world.

You probably work on projects for many hours at a time without much thought for exercising. Like fellow air sign Gemini, you often choose convenience over common sense, especially when it comes to your diet.

To you travel is as much a source of education as pleasure.

Whether it is a trip across town or a trek around the globe, you have a way of seeing and learning things that other people never notice. Your interest in travel probably began early in life. You don’t like conventional or tourist-type places. You are much more inclined to rough it.

You also have a terrific appreciation for painting and music.

Fine dining is another one of your passions. Whenever you travel, you are sure to search out the very best eateries.

Although you are fine with traveling on your own, you prefer to make it a group activity. Going places with your family or friends allows you to enjoy their experiences as well as your own. You are an excellent travel companion.

Aquarians are naturally curious Because you are versatile and curious, you probably have a great many hobbies and recreational pastimes. Reading is one of your favourite hobbies. You adore books on all subjects, especially fast-paced fiction thrillers, true crime stories, how-to books and celebrity biographies. Whenever you discover a new interest, you want to know everything there is to know about it. When you choose to get physical, you like competitive activities. If you are a typical Water Bearer, your love of words has certainly prompted you to do some writing.

Even though you have a reputation for being unconventional in most areas of your life, you are likely to cultivate a somewhat more traditional attitude in your home life. While you aren’t fussy about neatness, you do enjoy presiding over a well-organized and attractive home. When it comes to the art of decoration, you have very specific tastes. You like countrystyle decor. You prefer comfortable surroundings. Your taste in furniture tends to be eclectic. You have the ability to blend personal and professional business seamlessly. Aquarians who live alone are likely to adhere to a somewhat flexible schedule.

While you can appreciate the value of a permanent commitment, you value your personal freedom more than anything else. You are far too independent to ditch an old friend simply because your spouse doesn’t like him or her.

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