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PCMA pushes green trend at meeting
Industry News
WestJet soars to record profit and develops a loyalty program Calgary-based WestJet combined high passenger loads, cost controls, market share increases and a federal corporate income tax cut to a record profit of $75.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2007, nearly triple its year-earlier showing of $26.7 million. The tax cut accounted for a “one-time favourable adjustment” to profit of $33.7 million, and without this profit was $41.7 million, up 56.3 per cent from the fourth quarter of 2006. In other news, WestJet is also developing its own loyalty program, offering rewards such as Florida getaways through its fast-growing vacation division. The new program will be in place for 2009. WestJet envisages stimulating travel demand by issuing bonus points to passengers who fly on slower days, notably Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The airline plans to drop its Air Miles affiliation as well as its accord with the Bank of Montreal BMO Mosaik MasterCard, although BMO could still be involved in launching a new credit card. WestJet signed up with Air Miles in 2000 and began awarding points in 2003. WestJet’s profit surged 68 per cent in 2007 to $193 million. On the Web: www.westjet.com.
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The green theme was clearly evident at the recordsetting 52nd Annual Meeting of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) in Seattle, Wash. from Jan. 13-16. The unaudited record attendance was 3,400 attendees, with an estimated mix of 60 per cent supplier and 40 per cent meeting planner. The student attendance of 237 also set a record. Although the Seattle convention didn’t match the PCMA’s 2007 Annual Meeting in Toronto as being a “zero-waste” event, there were still a wide variety of green initiatives for the show, including: reusable water bottles and water stations, registration bags (produced by BrandAdvantage) made from organic jute and recycled nylon, and recycled paper was used for all printed material. The organization said it added 576 new members in 2007 and used the Annual Meeting to unveil its re-tooled website. On the Web: www.pcma.org
DID YOU KNOW ... 1
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CANADIANS WORKS IN THE
TOURISM SECTOR, WHICH GENERATES ABOUT
2%
OF THE COUNTRY’S GROSS NATIONAL
PRODUCT
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(GNP). SO
ENCOURAGE LOCAL
BUSINESSES AND WE ALL BENEFIT.
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Ed. Note
Future trends – now! wo articles in this month’s Planner are definitely about the future. The first, written by Sandra Wood, is on the green movement about which we are hearing more and more on a daily basis and which The Planner has been writing about for well over a year. Ms. Woods was at the forefront of the movement and the association she works for reflects this new reality of planners wanting their suppliers to be green. The other article, written by Jeff Mowatt, is also about a definite trend and suppliers wanting to grow – in fact just to stay in business – would do well to read it, probably more than once. We at The Planner also believe that the sizzle without the steak will no longer be accepted. It’s all fine and dandy to promote the senses – but we mustn’t lose sight of “common sense.” This is why another word you will hear mentioned more and more in the future will be authenticity. Corporate culture will have to reflect the authenticity of the branding message it sends out. As they say, “Is it real or is it marketing?” As budgets get leaner planners will want the real deal. Businesses will have to stop selling perception and focus on delivering the goods. In keeping with this spirit next month’s contest, to be sponsored by the Montreal Hilton Bonaventure Hotel, will ask you to give us the names of companies which are easy to do business with and why. And keep the spirit – it will be spring in a few weeks!
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– Leo Gervais
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A SSOCIATE E DITORS G RAPHIC A RTIST S ALES C IRCULATION C ONTRIBUTORS
Leo Gervais lgervais@theplanner.ca Camille Lay clay@theplanner.ca Jyl Ashton Cunningham jashton@theplanner.ca Matt Riopel James Paulson jpaulson@theplanner.ca Tania Joanis, Patricia Lemus Deerhurst Resort, Cynthia Fell, Philippe Kwon, Jeff Mowatt, Barry Siskind, Sandra Wood, Sharon Worsley
Cover photo: The Muskoka region in Ontario.
2105 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 The Planner is a monthly publication distributed to professional meeting and event planners across Canada. The Planner uses 30% recycled post-consumer paper. Poste-publication No. 40934013 4
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In this Issue 6 The green trend/market > It’s probably the hottest corporate trend – how to hold a green meeting. Sandra Wood has produced and written about green meetings and she provides our readers with some useful tips and ideas on how to go green.
9 Less is better > Exhibitors often have a tendency to put too much into their display. Longtime columnist and exhibit display expert Barry Siskind provides some useful ways to simplify your exhibit and avoid the all-to-common mistake of information overload.
10 Ask the A/V expert > Philippe Kwon of Inland AV in Winnipeg, looks to offer planners useful advice by answering your questions. This month’s column looks at video and computer switching and how to do it well.
12 Your Magic Moments > We received tremendous response to our Magic Moments contest from last month, and we are pleased to share with you some of the wonderful stories and experiences you readers have had over the years at numerous hotels and venues.
19 Digital cameras > The past decade has seen a virtual revolution in the photography business, including the remarkable drop in price of the ubiquitous digital camera. Editor Leo Gervais offers some advice on how to choose a camera that will suit your needs.
20 F.E.A.R. > Sharon Worsley has an interesting take on F.E.A.R. – False Evidence Appearing Real. In a world where perception is reality, this article cuts through the chaff to help us understand how to conquer our fears.
28 Buying trends > Jeff Mowatt sees a coming trend in people’s buying habits – customers are much more interested in the total buying experience. Jeff looks at the risk and opportunity in this trend and how to capitalize on it. March ’08
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C HAT WITH A CONC I E RG E This month’s Chat with a Concierge is with Korey Rorison, Chief Concierge at the Pillar and Post located in Niagara-On-TheLake. he is also a member of Les Clefs d'Or Canada.
1. What unique services can you provide planners? Wine tours, Golfing, Restaurant recommendations, airport and local transport. You name it, we can do it. 2. What restaurants do you recommend in your city for groups? The Cannery and Carriages, Escabeche, Tiara Restaurant, Peller Estates Winery, and Ristorante Giordino just to name a few. There are also several wineries like Inniskillin, Jackson-Triggs and Chateau Des Charmes that offer offsite catering for large corporate events. 3. What nightlife do you recommend in your city? The many performances at the Shaw Festival, enjoying live music at the historic Olde Angel Inn, and Twilight In the Vineyards at Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery’s outdoor amphitheatre.
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4. What interesting, off-beat or unique places do you recommend to planners? Taking a ride on the wild Niagara Jet Boat; the only water craft that both Canadian and U.S. Coastguards allow on the Niagara River. 5. What are your not-to-be-missed places or things to see? We quite literally are 30 minutes from Niagara Falls and the Fallsview Casino and Resort. Not to mention surrounded by approximately 50 wineries. Depending on the time of year there is the Niagara Ice Wine Festival (Jan), Cuvee Wine Awards (Mar), New Vintage Festival (May), Niagara Wine Auction Weekend (Jun), and the two week Niagara Wine Festival (Sept). 6. What are the best jogging/ walking circuits you recommend? Right outside the door of the Pillar and Post is the Niagara Parkway. This beautiful parkway winds its way to Niagara Falls and has a well groomed pathway for runners and cyclists. 7. How much does/should a cab ride cost from the airport to the downtown core? We are located 45min away from Buffalo International Airport ($90.00 CDN approx), an hour and a half from Pearson International in Toronto ($140.00) and 15 minutes from the local Niagara District Airport ($25.00).
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Greening is now a market BY SANDRA WOOD
hat a difference a year makes. When I think of where I was this time last year little did I know of how things would change so quickly. This time last year I wanted to green up our annual meeting but didn’t know where to begin nor did I know what services and products might help get me there. I was really counting on the Green Meeting Industry Council conference in Portland, Oregon to show me what was possible. GMIC didn’t let me down! I had never attended a green event and really didn’t know what to expect. The conference exceeded all my expectations. I experienced an event that had minimal impact on our environment, proved that anyone can deliver a green meeting, demonstrated that a green meeting can still deliver valuable information without compromising the needs of the attendees and an event that can leave everyone feeling good because you know you are contributing to something “good” (especially the hotel staff who were clearly very proud of the hotel’s green accomplishments). Wow! I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. So back to Ottawa I came and so began a year of intensive research and learning first-hand how to plan and deliver a green meeting. So what exactly is a green meeting you ask? Good question! Currently there are no regulations or standards. If you Google the term you stumble across several definitions. However, I think GMIC has a good definition as follows: “A green meeting incorporates environmental considerations throughout all stages of the meeting process in order to minimize the negative impact on the environment and make a positive impact to host communities in terms of environmental and social legacies.”
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MANY SHADES OF GREEN You will also hear (it is also very true) that there are many “shades” to green and only you can determine how green you can go. As a planner I can tell you that delivering a green meeting depends very much on how much time you have to plan a green meeting, what tools and services are available, where you are holding the event, what financial parameters you are working with and, most importantly, what level of support you have from your employer and from the venue you are using. Take a look at the many great tools listed below. Compile your “wish list” of what you want to do (make sure you already have a “green plan” in place) and then contact your hotel sales representative and talk to them. 6
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Most importantly, develop a really good relationship with the CSM (or whomever your main logistics contact is at the venue) because you are really going to need their help and their support to make it happen. Don’t let the responsibility of delivering the green meeting fall upon the shoulders of the CSM alone. Your CSM is going to need support from the top down to engage all the departments within the venue. As the planner you need to make sure the venue understands the value and benefits of what you are trying to do. One thing I did was ask the General Manager at the hotel we used to send my CEO a letter outlining the efforts the hotel was going to in greening up our meeting. When I received the letter from the GM I was really surprised to read that “we were one of the most green events the hotel had ever hosted”. I didn’t realize it and my CEO was very pleased to learn of the extensive efforts. We made sure our attendees knew it too by announcing this in our daily newsletter during our event. The hotel has since secured other green business as a direct result of what they did for us. We left being a very satisfied customer! WORK WITH YOUR VENUE Be realistic with your expectations and work with your venue. You will find that you will be teaching them and they, in turn, will also be teaching you. For example, I didn’t know that some hotels are under contract with certain coffee suppliers like Starbucks. This means they can’t just bring in a fair trade coffee from anywhere. However, the hotel learned that Starbucks actually have a fair trade coffee for sale so they now can offer that particular coffee to those clients requesting fair trade. See what I mean about mutual learning? Joel Makower from GreenBiz says “greening is no longer a movement, it is a market.” So true are these words. With a proliferation of green suppliers and products coming on-line, green meetings and events are getting easier to plan and deliver. The tools are there, the green workshops are taking place across Canada, there are blogs and websites and green guides and magazines and lots of green meeting examples to draw on. See his interesting blog at: http://greenbiz.com/Blogs/makower.cfm. Greening a meeting is so much easier now than it was even a year ago and the benefits are vast. So, get ready, get set and off you go! Sandra Wood is the Annual Meeting Manager for the Canadian Medical Association in Ottawa, Ontario. She can be reached at: sandra.wood@cma.ca.
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Industry News
and shameless with a pair of Black Bar Sunglasses from www.wishing fish.com. The company literature states “Keep Black Bars away from children and humourless adults.” Approximate price: $7.99. On the Web: www.wishingfish.com
MPI’s Annual Conference explores alternative meeting strategies More than 2,300 meeting and event professionals convened in Houston, Texas from February 2-5, 2008, for the Professional Education Conference – North America (PEC-NA) co-created by Meeting Professionals International (MPI). With the conference themed MeetDifferent, the 2008 PEC-NA conference offered industry professionals alternative ways to plan and conduct meetings and events. The 2008 PEC-NA conference also introduced a fresh approach to trade show expos themed “think outside the booth.” “The broad team of members, partners and inspired presenters embraced our community's quest for success through innovation and packaged them all into the MeetDifferent experience,” said Bruce MacMillan, CA, president & CEO of MPI. “The point was we wanted to show what was possible and get our community to think about what the future might look like.”
Get your Black Bar sunglasses Remember those old photographs where somebody would have a black bar across their eyes to keep their anonymity intact? Well, now you too can be blameless
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Blu-ray wins the DVD war Sony Corp’s Blu-ray technology has won the format war for home movie DVDs when Toshiba bailed after Wal Mart and other large retailers backed Blu-ray. Consumers will be the winners through better quality home moves and lower prices. It is a sweet victory for Sony, which lost the legendary 1980s Betamax-VHS format battle for video cassette technology to Matsushita. Analysts expect more Blu-ray players to be embedded in laptop and desktop personal computers next year.
“Softness” trend cited in Florida The Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau is “seeing softness” in the convention and meetings market, according to the Orlando Sentinel. In a member memo recently obtained by the Sentinel, the bureau said in the fourth quarter of 2007 meeting planners were being “extremely conservative” in new bookings. A “lack of confidence” was leading to downsizing events both in size of groups and scale of meetings. If you’re going to the U.S. it’s a good time to negotiate!
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Muskoka a playground for planners CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The Muskoka Lakes Township would give the beautiful Lake District in England a run for its money. In fact, the British were among the first to settle the region over 130 years ago, perhaps because it reminded them of home. Today, Muskoka is the playground of an international and largely wealthy population, as well as being one of the most visited regions in Canada for corporate meetings, incentives and retreats. Being an all-year round destination is key to Muskoka’s success, as the outdoors plays such an important part in the overall experience. Winter sports include alpine and cross country skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding and snowmobiling as well as ice fishing for those who like to sleep while they exercise (apologies to any avid ice fishers out there). For fair weather folks, the possibilities are endless, with golf, hiking, eco adventures and all water sports being prevalent. Muskoka even has its own winery, located in Bala, with a respectable range of red and white cranberry, blueberry and white blueberry wines, some of which are available in liquor stores. The winery offers tours, tastings and hay rides for groups up to 56 people. On the Web: www.cranberry.ca Cuisine in the region has evolved to encompass international influences, although the emphasis is still very much centred around promoting local product, something that is becoming increasingly popular with the move to reduce the carbon footprint. There is an impressive number of award winning chefs who work in Muskoka, each offering their personal talents in menu creation. A lovely idea for groups at any level of budget and weather permitting, is to host a picnic outdoors at a lakeside, with sumptuous food and drink, a chef on hand to cook a la minute, and elegant table settings. For a truly original experience, fly your guests in by float plane. Destination Muskoka, the leading DMC in the region, can organize flying trips, either as tours or charters from Toronto. “We are very proud to offer Muskoka from the air,” said Tonya Meadows, Destination Muskoka’s representative. Meadows also enthuses about the two famous Muskoka steamships Segwun and Wenonah, which offer everything from a casual cruising experience to a complete themed onboard event. For a unique venue, Meadows recommends The Grace and Speed Museum at Muskoka Wharf, which provides a glimpse into Muskoka’s boating heritage. 8
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Muskoka is famous for attracting artisans, who are there because of the natural beauty, garnering creative energy from each season. Optional activities can include a visit to artisan studios, or perhaps a studio experience (a recent recommendation was for glass blowing), especially for spousal groups. Consider purchasing incentive gifts locally, to support artists in the region. Resorts in the Muskoka region have come a long way in the last decade. Although many remain family-orientated to accommodate vacationers, some have embraced the corporate and incentive culture and offer high-end packages with elegant accommodation and function rooms, world-class cuisine with local and international influences, luxurious spas and championship level golf courses. Taboo Resort in Gravenhurst opened three years ago and has barely looked back. Taboo’s Culinary Theatre is an innovative one-of-a-kind 18-seat theatre in the heart of its main dining area. A truly interactive experience with top chefs preparing innovative dishes as guests look on, for those who prefer to be cooked for than cook for themselves. On the Web: www.tabooresort.com Deerhurst Resort continues to be a force to be reckoned with in the region, with two beautiful golf courses and a luxury spa, excellent sports facility including indoor tennis, squash and badminton courts, and world class entertainment, all on site. What gives Deerhurst an edge is their partnership with Adventures in Excellence providing creative and strategic teambuilding, for the thinking mind as well as the active body. A topical, Love Of The Games program uses Olympic sports to identify group strengths and maintain perspective, both at work as training plans before the exercise and as an Olympic Games competition once on site. On the Web: www.deerhurstresort.com The Rosseau. Watch this space for a new J W Marriott resort near Port Carling, opening later in the year. The Rosseau will be the chain’s first property in the region and promises to be quite spectacular. Whatever the reason for visiting Muskoka, one thing is certain, once is never enough and it’s almost guaranteed that a return visit with the family or friends will be on the cards. Try going once each season, and enjoy everything that a true year round destination has to offer. Jyl Ashton Cunningham, CMP is Associate Editor, Ontario for The Planner and owner of JAAC Meetings and Events By Design. Jyl welcomes your comments and can be reached at jashton@theplanner.ca or info@jaacevents.com.
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Less is better when it comes to exhibits BY BARRY SISKIND hen it comes to creating a powerful exhibit, the old saying “less is better” has never been truer. Exhibitors have a tendency to simply put too much into their display. They mistakenly assume that they need to tell everyone everything as quickly as possible and their back wall ends up looking like a brochure. Let’s take a step back and look at the problem and see if there isn’t a better solution. The first thing is to focus on the people that you are designing for – the visitors. Put yourself in their position: you chose to go to the show for a number of reasons. Likely at the top of the list was to see new products and services and learn about new tools and technologies. That’s good and bad news. The good news is that as a visitor, if you have chosen the show well, you have an excellent chance of learning and seeing lots of new products. The bad news is that there is simply too many. It’s like drinking from a fire-hose. Eventually your brain shuts down and you can’t take in additional information. You will suffer from information overload. Now let’s look at this from your point of view as the exhibitor. When your display tries to say too much you are compounding the effects of information overload. The trick is to say enough to get the visitor’s attention and once they have stopped at your booth, your boothers do the rest. This is when “less is better” comes into play. Here are some of the things to look at:
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PRODUCTS While it’s true that visitors want to see real products rather than photos, you don’t need to have them all. Bring the newest product which becomes the focal point in the booth and perhaps a few representative samples of other products and that’s all – less is better. PEOPLE Too many people in your booth can also be disastrous. It makes approaching your display intimidating and many visitors will simply walk by. There is a rule of thumb in the exhibition industry that states that every staff person requires 50 square feet of unoccupied space. That means for a 10’ X 10’ booth you need two people. For a 10’ X 20’ you don’t need four – only three. This is because the more space you add, the greater the tendency to occupy it with inanimate objects – displays, products, etc. So, balance the number of people you have working in your display with the amount of space you have available – less in better. Before you put your next display together take a moment and step back and ask yourself, “Is this display attracting attention or adding to the confusion?” If your answer is the latter, you now have four areas you can examine that will increase your display’s impact. On the Web: www.siskindtraining.com
GRAPHICS Displays that are filled with photos don’t work. They add to the confusion. Sure some people will stop by and peruse your photo gallery, but most will simply walk by. It’s like bringing baby pictures to a dinner party. The guests will be patient and polite but sooner or later they start to yawn. One good photo that whets their appetite is worth more than 1,000 that puts them to sleep – less is better. WORDS How much can you possibly tell people on a sign? Remember that visitors in addition to having too much information also have sore feet and are probably tired from holding their bag of brochures and give away items. Asking them to stand and read all your information is not a reasonable thing to do – less is better.
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In this series of articles, InfoComm AV instructor Philippe Kwon (Inland AV; Winnipeg) addresses audio visual questions sent in by event planners. To submit a question on a particular issue, email Philippe at info@theplanner.ca.
Video and computer switching Gertrud Jeewanjee, Meetings Coordinator for the Canadian Mathematical Society in Ottawa recently asked this question: “I have used a multimedia projector with a laptop to do Powerpoint presentations. What are some issues that I should know about when I want to switch between a couple of different presentation devices; such as a laptop and a DVD player?” Presentations today can involve a number of different video sources such as: DVD, HD DVD, Blu-Ray, VHS, document cameras, video cameras and different types of computers. Switching between the different sources and formats without fumbling around, connecting and disconnecting the different sources, distracting your audience and wasting their time during the presentation is a very important issue. In a small workshop presentation environment, it is common to connect a laptop directly to the data input on the multimedia projector and a video player directly to the video input on the projector. Switching between the two inputs is usually done with the projector remote or, in some cases, via the input controls on the projector itself. Switching on the projector is possible because the presenter is usually within the working range of the remote control (about 20-30 feet); or the presenter is close enough to the projector that they can manually switch on the projector.
While this is a viable way to switch two sources, the image on the screen may be momentarily blank or have flickering horizontal lines; as the projector adjusts to the new source format. In a larger presentation environment, a number of factors affect the ability to switch sources on the projector. The use of a larger screen for a larger audience often increases the projector distance from the screen. In this case, the presenter may be outside the working range of the remote control or not close enough to the projector to switch manually. Most remote control units use infrared technology. This line of sight technology can be blocked by a physical barrier. In the case of a larger room and audience, there is a greater likelihood of a person or object blocking the infrared path between the presenter and projector when trying to switch sources. In some cases, the projector is suspended from the ceiling. This makes it impossible to switch sources on the projector and very often puts the projector out of the range of the remote control. Similarly, projecting from the rear of the screen also causes the projector to be inaccessible. In large plenary sessions and awards shows, it is common for an AV technician to operate and switch the various video and computer sources. In this type of scenario, the sources (video players, live video camera feeds and computers) are located at the AV technician’s table; along with the necessary switching device. The output of the switching device is then sent to the projector. There are a number of different types of switchers available. A video switcher is used where only video sources need to be switched. This allows switching between DVD, VHS, satellite and video cameras. If multiple computers are being used and there are no video sources, a computer switcher is the appropriate choice.
The multitude of peripherals that can be used in a show today makes it imperative that you know your equipment. 10
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Sophisticated switchers also allow for transition effects to be a part of the switching process, such as cross fades and wipes. Where there is a combination of computer (data) and video sources that need to be switched, a multi-format switcher is required. Video and data sources are very different types of signal. They are like two people that speak different languages. The only way they can understand each other is with the use of a translator. In the case of video and data sources, the translator we use is called a scaler. The scaler will convert the video sources to the higher resolution used by the data sources. The switcher is then able to easily switch between the various sources. Sophisticated switchers also allow for transition effects to be a part of the switching process.
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Transitions include switching choices such as cross fades, wipes, dissolves, picture in picture and titling. While historically found in video switchers, multi-format switchers have also adopted these types of switching effects. These effects provide a much smoother change between sources than the basic cut experienced when switching sources on a projector. Furthermore, unpleasant blanking or horizontal flickering problems are not an issue with these higher quality switching devices. Discussing your presentation switching needs with an audiovisual professional will provide you with the available options and the right solution for your application.
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My magic moment was when I was with a group in Vancouver. We were staying at the Bayshore Hotel and the day was magnificent. I love taking pictures, and the spot where the hotel was located was ideal. I wanted to take pictures, but I needed a much higher point to take better shots. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I contacted the GM of the hotel, and explained to him what I wanted to do. With a big smile on his face, he took me to the highest room of the hotel, where the view was spectacular. I took wonderful shots of the city, the harbour and the mountains on a beautiful autumn day. I hang these pictures in my house, and each time they bring back warm memories. That was my magic moment! Josée Lessard Metro Inc. Montréal, Quebec One thing I have never forgotten happened when I was conducting a site inspection of a hotel many years ago. I tend to be very thorough when doing these things, checking meeting space and bedrooms out thoroughly from top to bottom. Can you imagine my surprise and amazement when once checking under a bed for cleanliness in one of the rooms and found a tent card signed by the general manager that said, “Yes, I check here too!” Chuck E. Schouwerwou, CMP ConferSense Planners Inc. Ottawa, Ontario I won a trip to Montebello, Quebec for two for a weekend. I decided to take my granddaughter Chantel who was 18 and getting ready to go to University in September. We had a great time! The best part was when we went dog sledding… she wrapped her arms around me and said, “Nana, what would I ever do without you, I love you not just for taking me here but just for being you.” This is a memory I will never forget. With the river frozen, the light snow trickling down, lights all around the hotel and my Chantel holding her Nana in her 12
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arms, this was the best time of my life. This touched my heart in such a way that even pictures will never be able to tell how I felt. That was a Magic Moment. Darlene Mawbey Ajilon Consulting Toronto, Ontario While visiting a conference in St John’s, Newfoundland, my camera battery died. It takes one of those strange sized batteries and I had no idea where to go to get a replacement. As I wandered outside my hotel (The Delta), I saw a hotel employee walking towards their car to head home. Figuring that he might know, I asked him where to go. His response: “Jump in the car and I’ll take you.” As a Torontonian, I was taken aback, (and possibly a little creeped out as well.) As I stammered about taking a taxi, he opened the door for me. Not only did he drive me to a camera store, he waited for me to make the purchase and then drove me back to the Delta before heading home. It made me realize that there really are good people out there who are willing to put themselves out a bit when someone needs a bit of help. Chris MacKechnie Slingshot Toronto, Ontario The minute I received your e-mail, I thought this was such a great idea! I did not have to think very long to find my most magical moment — it happened a few years ago in Cannes, France. A group of us arrived at the Intercontinental Carlton Hotel beautifully situated on La Croisette in Cannes. We were very tired from the overnight flight to Paris and the three-hour wait for our connecting flight to Nice Airport. Then the helicopter transfer, which was magnificent, over to Cannes. Then finally, the shuttle service over to the hotel. Upon arrival at the hotel, the director of sales, Verena Kuhn, had kindly arranged for inroom check-in. Five minutes after closing the door and washing my hands, there was a knock at the door. A delightful French waitress arrives with a tray beautifully accented with
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a fresh rose, a large bottle of Evian, a basket of petite French breads with fresh churned butter, and the most delicious vegetable lasagna I have ever tasted. I was fortunate to be accommodated in a sea-view room where you could see the sun glistening on the waters of the Mediterranean (even though it was early December). I opened the balcony doors and inhaled the scent of the sea, then sat in a comfy armchair where I enjoyed this exquisite meal looking out at the magnificent view. This definitely was my most magical personal moment as a meeting and incentive planner. Flavia St.Clair Exclusive Travels international Burlington, Ontario This occurred a number of years ago when I was with the Canadian Shipbuilding Association in Ottawa. We were holding our Annual Technical Conference and Trade Show at the then Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. I had been running full out, as you can imagine, and was seated with a number of our Directors at the Banquet. The Banquet Captain confirmed with me in advance where I would be seated. At that time the Queen Elizabeth Hotel had, by far, the best clam chowder anywhere and they new how much I loved it. Well imagine my surprise when, after serving the others the chosen soup, I was served a bowl of their famous clam chowder. Then to top it off, when the tea and coffee was served they put a small container of honey beside my tea. They remembered that I take my tea with honey. I can tell you that my table mates were as impressed as I was and not in the least offended. That was many years ago but it is one of those memories that brings a smile even on tough days. Joy MacPherson Petroleum Research Atlantic Canada Halifax, Nova Scotia A number of years ago, I was planning a small national conference at the Ocean Pointe Resort (now the Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort) in Victoria, BC. Even though we were only a group of about 150, the staff at the hotel made us feel that we were their only guests. Not only did we have no issues with hosting several diplomatic VIPS, but the small
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touches were fabulous. On the night of our wrap-up banquet in their main ballroom, we started our evening festivities with a local comedienne who was an excellent impersonator of Queen Elizabeth II. Once she was finished her wanderings through the audience, the staff started serving the excellent meal. Our main entertainment for that evening were the Cowichan Tzinquaw Dancers. As they started their performance, the banquet captain slowly lowered the lights and quietly opened the curtains that covered the floor to ceiling windows at the back of the ballroom. The low lights, the moonlight and city lights sparkling off of Victoria’s inner harbour, combined with the cultural sharing taking place made the event and time stand still. Before we knew it, an hour had passed and the dancers had to depart. Our delegates from across Canada and our few international guests, still comment on that magical moment (as do I as I now know that this event was a great success!). Michael Tryon Canadian Planning Solutions Edmonton, Alberta One of my magical moments – there have been many – but this one stands out. Many years ago I was able to talk a client into changing his dates so that he could experience the Château Frontenac in Quebec City. It was a dealer meeting and there were over 150 of the top dealers from across Canada. The client and myself were thrilled to see upon arrival the company flag flying from one of the masts at the entrance to the hotel. Now that made us feel special! Anne-Marie de Lavison Planet Meetings & Incentives Mississauga, Ontario
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I had been invited in 2003 to present at the CSAE Conference which was held at the Hilton Lac Lemay. I checked in at around 16h00 and was absolutely pleased with my room which faced the Lac Lemay. As an added bonus, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to see the beautiful fireworks that evening from my bay window in my room while having my room service meal (which was excellent). Italy was the country showing fireworks that evening and it was breathtaking. All the music associated with the fireworks was available on the TV through a local channel. It was a memorable moment that has stayed with me since that time. Sylvie Paquette CAE Ottawa, Ontario On the first day of our annual conference at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs last fall, one of our delegates showed up late to our opening reception stressed and in panic because his luggage didn’t arrive and he had lost his wallet and therefore couldn’t check into the hotel. Our angel of a conference manager immediately had him checked in and also provided him with a new shirt to go to dinner in.
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She then made a quick phone call to her contact at the airline and his luggage was delivered within the hour. And just when we thought she’d pulled out all the stops, she grabbed a flashlight and headed out to our delegate’s rental car to search for his wallet – which she found. It’s this type of incredible service that brought us back to the hotel for a second time. Sherri Sheney NDMAC Ottawa, Ontario I had a magical moment at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel. It was during my conference and I was just heading into my Annual Meeting when the heel of my shoe broke right off! We tried to get the shoe fixed at the local shoe repair who said it would be ready in a week. When we told our wonderful conference services manager, she took my shoe to engineering at the hotel and had it fixed immediately! It was an unbelievable moment that I will never forget! Suzanne Scott FSAC Aurora, Ontario
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How to choose a digital camera BY LEO GERVAIS
often can use lenses from your old regular SLR cameras. The experience of what to buy is driven primarily by two factors: Taste and price. The guiding factors when buying a camera should be the following: • What will you be taking pictures of? • Do you want to shoot video as well? • Is it for amateur or professional use?
he revolution we have seen in photography in the past 10 years is truly astounding. Gone are the days of bringing film to the photo lab, only to realize you cropped out Uncle Ed’s head with your thumb in that cozy family picture. Now, you can have them printed at Wal-Mart after sending your digital pics Do your research when looking to buy a digital camera. instantly over the Internet, burn them on CDs and, best of all, delete any bad shots • What can you afford? you take and start over again. The death knell for oldstyle cameras was when the prices dropped enough to There are literally dozens of choices out there, so justify the new technology. read up on the various brands like Canon, Fujifilm, Kodak, and Nikon in publications such as Consumer MEGAPIXELS AND MEMORY CARDS Reports. If you are considering buying one, I strongly Digital still cameras are cameras whose primary pur- suggest you speak to people who use digital cameras as pose is to capture photography in a digital format. well as experts who sell them – this is one area where Initially, a digital camera was characterized by the use you definitely want to do your homework before dropof flash memory and USB or FireWire for storage and ping several hundred dollars. transfer of still photographs (though some early cameras used a serial port connection), and this is still the Here are a few cameras recently recommended by common meaning of the unadorned term. Fortune magazine: In the past five years, the price per megapixel has dropped from about $100 to $50. (Megapixels are the Under $300 product of the cameras maximum resolution dimensions Fujifilm Finepix F31FD in millions – don’t go under five megapixels if you want Features: great image quality, superior low-light perquality 8 x 10 prints). In addition the lens quality on formance point-and-shoot cameras across the board is excellent. Look for lenses with optical zoom, which moves you Under $500 closer to the subject without sacrificing quality. Canon S5 IS One thing to seriously consider is a good memory Features: 12 X optical zoom, big LCD screen card, and the selection has gotten better and cheaper. A two-gigabyte card will yield about 800 high-quality pic- Under $800 tures or 16 minutes of good video. The Secure Digital Nikon D40X (SD) format is increasingly the industry standard; and a Features: Lightning fast response, 10.2 megapixels card sells for about $30. In terms of video, most point and shoots have video So be sure to compare models and prices and even capability. If you plan to use it, look for at least 30 try out a few models to see how you like them. It’s time frames per second at 640 x 480 resolution, and a micro- to join the digital camera crowd! phone for sound. The one serious knock on digital cameras is the lag On the Web: time between shots – up to two seconds, more if you www.dpreview.com are using zoom. Serious action shooters should www.dcviews.com consider entry-level SLRs (Single Lens Reflex), and these www.digitalcamera-hq.com/digital-cameras
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False Evidence Appearing Real BY SHARON WORSLEY
ust saying the word ‘fear’ can strike a cord of uneasiness in even the most confident person. Perhaps you can relate to some of the following typical fears that people experience?
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Speaking in public Flying Falling in love Looking stupid in front of others Changing careers or making any change Growing old Saying the wrong thing and looking foolish Wearing the wrong outfit and looking unfashionable Sending the kids to the wrong school or even worse, being a bad parent • People finding out that you are actually a fraud • Disappointing someone you love • Dying CONQUERING FEAR CAN INCLUDE CHANGING YOUR ATTITUDE Do you remember past times when you were fearful of something, but once that situation passed you wondered what it was that had held a grip of fear over you in the first place? Recently I had a coaching client – let’s call him Dave — who was afraid of having a meeting with his boss. Dave was concerned that when he next met with his superior there was going to be a painful outcome from their interaction. We examined what was the worst thing that could result and the best answer he could come up with was that his boss would fire him. Now this was his first thought, but after some conversation he realized that this was very unlikely, based on what their conversation was going to be dealing with. However, this is what first came to mind. This is not unlike how many of us think at first blush; we often fear the worse. We then looked at other possible scenarios to uncover all the hidden fears of repercussions that might ensue. Each time we did so, Dave became the first one to say that each thought was redundant. Soon, he was much calmer about the prospect of his meeting. Next I had him set an intention of how he wanted this meeting to go. Realizing that there were going to be two people in the room, he could only control his actions, thoughts and beliefs. 20
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He decided that no matter what his boss said, Dave would be calm, collected and cool. He was to bring a much more positive energy to the engagement, which was a considerably better attitude than he was first prepared for. When we next spoke, post meeting, he recanted the incident and was delighted to confirm that the meeting had gone very well. What was bothering him now was that he couldn’t believe how much he had feared this meeting only days earlier. In fact, he had been through this type of thing before where he had feared something or someone, only to find out later that there was nothing to worry about in the first place. He isn’t the only one to feel this way; can anyone relate to this situation? Do we learn our lesson? Not always. IS THERE A COST TO BEING FEARFUL? Absolutely! One of the biggest things that fear can do is to cause us to be paralyzed and not move through it. When we do this we can miss out on so many things, such as opportunities that we are not aware of, being alone, staying afraid and not living life to the fullest. Not only that, but we can miss out on living to our highest potential and also blessing the lives of others. Susan Jeffers, in her book Feel the Fear And Do It Anyway asserts that fear is primarily an educational problem. That if we can reeducate our minds we can accept that fear is a fact of life rather than a barrier. My little niece turned 8 last year and was to be baptized into her church by being totally immersed in water. This is a young girl who loves to swim and is pretty fearless as far as I am concerned. However, hearing everyone talk about how nervous she must be, she was all of a sudden overtaken by fear of the water. I thought it amazing how quickly we can take on other peoples fear for ourselves. HOW TO CONQUER FEAR So much has been written or discussed concerning this question. I know I have had numerous conversations with my coaching clients on this very subject. To silence fear it is important to take action. What action? Well there is no one action for everyone as we all experience fear on many different levels and over many varied areas of our lives. Sometimes it is a case of becoming very present as to what your fear is and examining if it is based on reality or on what you are only imagining, and then possibly blowing out of proportion.
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Industry News
WestJet sets another record in February Calgary-based passenger airline operator WestJet reported a record load factor — or percentage of seats filled — for February of 82.8 per cent despite “challenging winter weather.” The airline reported that its capacity grew 18.2 per cent and revenue passenger miles — a measure of passenger traffic — were up 19 per cent. “Our seasonal capacity deployment strategy, strong sales for WestJet Vacations, growing network connectivity and continued focus on delivering an exceptional guest experience are key factors in WestJet's leading, and continually improving, performance,” president and CEO Sean Durfy said in a press release. “Through the challenging winter weather, our WestJetters delivered record results demonstrating that their commitment to our great guest service remains as strong as ever. I am proud of our culture and each ‘WestJetter’ who lives our values daily.” On the Web: www.westjet.com
Thefts of items from checked baggage at airports, particularly in Puerto Plateau, has recently increased. Thefts are reported most frequently on departure. Money and personal items are sometimes stolen from carry-on luggage while travellers are going through security checks. Do not pack valuable items in your checked luggage. Unaccompanied female travellers should exercise caution in dealing with strangers or recent acquaintances. especially regarding the acceptance of rides or other invitations. The Tourist Police (POLITUR) can provide assistance to tourists. They can be reached at 809-6868639 or toll free at 1-200-3500. They recommend official registration, a service they provide so that they can contact and assist you in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform you of an emergency back home. Registration can be completed on-line or by contacting a Canadian government office abroad. On the Web: www.voyage.gc.ca
Ovation and DMC network in global alliance Ireland’s Ovation Global DMC and North American-headquartered DMC Network have announced a global alliance, which together will offer DMC delivery in more than 60 destinations across the US, Canada. Europe and the Middle East. On the Web: www.ovation.ie
Travellers to Dominican Republic warned Although the Canadian Foreign Affairs and International Trade department has not issued an official warning about the Dominican Republic, they do recommend that travellers “Exercise (a) high degree of caution” because the crime rate has increased, especially pick pocketing which is common in urban areas. Thefts have also been reported in some resorts. Canadians should exercise caution and be aware of their surroundings, especially after dark.
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Sudoku
Sponsored by the Centre Mont-Royal Centre Mont-Royal introduces Theatre Symposia A grand, state-of the art 730 fixed seat venue for your next seminar, concert, film premier, fashion show, awards presentation, graduation… www.centremontroyal.com
The Grand Canyon Skywalk solved Sharon’s fear of heights.
Fill each square with a number from 1 to 9 so that every number appears only once in each row, column and cell.
SOME SUDOKU RESOURCES ON THE WEB: • www.websudoku.com •www.sudoweb.com •www.dailysudoku.com •www.sudokupuzz.com
LEVEL: EASY LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE
Are you prepared to walk through your fear to the other side? CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20
For myself, I had always had a fear of heights and recently I had the chance to overcome that fear while I was visiting the Grand Canyon. The Hualapai Indians have something called a ‘Skywalk’ which is essentially a glass-bottomed, semicircular bridge that stands 4,000 feet over a cliff of the canyon. For $20, I got to walk around this glass enclosure and finally overcome this fear once and for all. What a bargain. Now this might seem somewhat radical to some people but by taking this massive action I was able to move past this fear. Was it easy? Oh no, there were some moments of heart palpitations and beads of sweat until I got about halfway. Once there, I realized that this was a safe structure that had already carried the weight of thousands of people without losing a single soul. It then became easier to complete my little journey.
Solution, page 25 Solution, page 25
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT… Think for a minute what you fear… is it based on reality? If you imagined the worst possible scenario, is it really that bad? Are you prepared to walk through that fear to the other side? Sometimes it is all about shining a light on the darkness of fear and bringing it into perspective. Think about a similar experience you have gone through previously and what eventuated. Was it really as bad as you feared? Sharon Worsley, CEO of Live With Intent, is a personal leadership coach and motivational speaker. Her signature keynote ‘Live By Choice, Not By Chance’ assists individuals and organizations to become clear on how they can ensure the quality of their life or organization. Sharon can be reached at sharon@livewithintent.com.
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Get the scoop on TO’s hot restos BY CYNTHIA FELL eed to break out of the restaurant rut? Want another option rather than the old stand-bys? Toronto’s restaurant scene is always a flurry of activity. The catch is being the centre of the activity rather than being swept away by it. We asked Cynthia Fell of Dining Events to provide us with a list of sumptuous places to dine in Canada’s biggest city. Here are some new places that are making a buzz in the city these days... C5 or Crystal Five is located on the fifth floor of the ROM’s Michael Lee-Chin Crystal; the forefront of the cultural renaissance taking place in Toronto. Chef Teddy Corrado’s cuisine is described as a variety of modern international and he serves up exhibits as grand as those found in the museum. The restaurant can comfortably sit up to 120 people for a seated dinner or 140 for a cocktail reception, all five stories above the museum and Bloor’s busy street-life. C5 is a winning combination of culture and food, suitable for upscale events and receptions alike. Jacobs & Co. Steakhouse is located on Brant Street at King Street West, the newest entry from the people who brought you Brassaii and Brant House. This is not your Father’s steak-house; the selection, cuts and grades satisfy even the finickiest of steak-lover’s taste. Before your steak dinner, your guests can enjoy the lower level piano bar before proceeding to the main dining area. Off the main dining room there is a bar and lounge area with a private dining room. The private dining room can be divided into two smaller rooms for seating 14 guests each. Jacobs & Co Steakhouse is the latest entry in the sizzling hot King-Bathurst restaurant and bar scene and is perfect for an event that needs a splash of the modern while balancing the classic.
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Across the street from the Flat Iron building and steps from the financial district is Lucien. Nestled in a building built in 1862, chef Scot Woods, (ex-executive chef of Habitat Restaurant) serves his international cuisine by introducing modernity to the classics using only the finest in local produce. The granite bar can seat 15 and runs along the east side of the space while the restaurant can seat 50. Intimate but not pretentious, Lucien works well for those looking to find hidden treasures and believe that great things come in small packages. Rising like a phoenix from the flame, Sassafraz, located in the heart of Yorkville, has returned from its 2007 fire and reclaimed its position as one of the institutions in the Toronto restaurant scene. Chef Bradley Macdonald offers a menu of contemporary Canadian dishes based in French cuisine. A new rooftop patio brings the seating capacity of this restaurant to 350 with late night dining until 2 a.m. seven days a week. An ideal location for your group to experience the essence of Toronto and, who knows, you just may spot a celebrity having a nightcap! Are you looking to rock ’n’ roll with your group? Look no further than Tattoo Rock Parlour at Queen Street West and Spadina: Toronto’s only live rock n’ roll/DJ venue with a tattoo shop. The Ultra Supper Club’s executive chef, Chris Zilewski, serves classic highend pub fare. The first floor comfortably seats 100 and has a reception capacity of 300. The VIP Lounge on the lower level has its own private entrance, fireplace and bar with reception capacity of 140. Entertain your large crowds looking for a wild time at this location but remember: drinking with discretion is always recommended, but especially with a tattoo parlour on the premises! Cynthia Fell is the president of Ding Events. She can be reached at: info@diningevents.ca or 416-516-2994. Bon appetit!
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Golf tourneys are good and serious business Ed. Note: The Planner asked the pros at the Deerhurst Resort to provide us with an article that could benefit planners with their years of experience. It’s no secret that lots of business takes place on the golf course, or that golf events are great for building relationships. “Hosting a good tournament is actually a lot like planning a wedding,” said Deerhurst Resort Director of Sales & Marketing Clee Varon. “There are plenty of important details to organize and different people to consider, even gifts to buy. Expectations are high and everyone wants a great day.” 1. KNOW YOUR SCORE Whether it’s a day outing or part of a larger meeting, think about what your goals are for the golf event, what kind of feel you want it to have, potential dates and roughly how many guests you plan on, since all of that plays a role in picking the right course. Budget may also impact your selection since costs often vary significantly from course to course. “But don’t skip a location just because you think it looks expensive,” notes Simon Bevan, Deerhurst’s Director of Golf. It’s also beneficial to look for resorts, like Deerhurst, that have two courses so you can host more people, split your group or cater to different skill levels. 2. ASK FOR HELP Some courses provide on-site tournament organizers, qualified professionals who will make recommendations and run all the details of your tournament on a complimentary basis. And make sure you have a committee or plenty of volunteers with clear tasks. “Delegate, don’t think you can do it all,” cautions Deerhurst Director of Conference Services Kari McLean. “You want to be able to focus on your attendees, not the signage on the first hole.” 3. START FRESH The best-attended tournaments start with a great invitation, according to Deerhurst’s Marketing Manager Laura Kennedy. Include the day’s schedule and the dress code and be sure to highlight any key prizes and the golf course’s website. Having all the necessary information at their fingertips pre-event and at the start of the day also helps less familiar golfers relax and enjoy.
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4. SWITCH THINGS UP More and more corporate events include a group warm-up at the golf academy. A popular format is a ‘Walk the Line’ where instructors walk the range as players practice, sharing customized tips with each. If your group is largely new to golf, consider a Golf 101 session with etiquette, swing, drive and putt stations plus golf stretches or on-course massage chairs for extra fun. Or if time is really tight, look at a Happy Hour Golf Clinic with 45-minutes on the range followed by a cocktail hour. 5. FOLLOW THROUGH Golf shirts, signage, sleeves of balls in the carts, games at the holes, food and drink on the course – these finishing touches are as important as the game for many of your guests. So take the time to make your tournament unique and cover all the details. A FEW OTHER TIPS • Locate a quality course that is accessible and that will work with you regardless of your golf experience and be attractive to players. • Have lots of special hole competitions with prizes for closest to the pin on a par 3, longest drive, hole-inone and the straightest drive to even things up. Travel agents and auto dealers are often willing to sponsor hole-in-one contests. • At registration, think about doing a “golfers’ survival kit” as a gift bag – bottled water, snack, golf balls and tees, sunscreen or bug spray and a shirt or jacket. For one-stop-shopping, most pro shops can provide all of these items with group savings of 25 to 35 percent off retail. • Post the score sheets at the hotel afterward, where everyone can see them. Odds are the meeting-goers who didn’t play will say, “Hey, that looks like fun, we need to get into that next year.” Deerhurst is home to two 18-hole golf courses, including Deerhurst Highlands, forerunner of Muskoka’s emergence as a major golf destination, plus a comprehensive golf academy led by one of Canada’s Top 50 golf instructors. It’s also a 400-room conference resort that welcomes major golf events like “Good as Gold,” a celebrity fundraiser for the Canadian National Women’s Hockey team. On the Web: www.deerhurstresort.com
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Hotel News
STARWOOD TO EXPAND GLOBALLY
HALIFAX HOTEL GARNERS AWARD The Westin Nova Scotian has won a Reader’s Choice Award in Meetings and Incentive Travel Magazine’s (M&IT) Eighth Annual Reader's Choice Awards. Voted upon by meeting planners, this is the second time in three years the hotel has been honoured with this distinction. This also marks the third year in a row the Westin Nova Scotian has ranked as the number one hotel in Halifax. The Readers Choice Awards are among the most prestigious meeting awards in Canada, as readers are asked to name a property that has exceeded their expectations in 2007, without a list to choose from. “What wonderful recognition this is,” said Guido Kerpel, general manager of the Westin Nova Scotian. “It’s very rewarding to see that the effort our team puts into providing excellent service and building strong relationships with clients is recognized.” The full list of winners is available in the January/February issues of M&IT. On the Web: www.westin.ns.ca
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Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. anticipates another year of extraordinary growth in 2008, building on the company's record-setting success in 2007. Early this year Starwood will mark a milestone with the opening of its 900th hotel. Starwood expects to increase its portfolio by 50 percent over the next five years, driven by aggressive global expansion across all its brands and the unprecedented growth of its two new brands, Aloft and Element, which both expect to open their first hotels this year. Starwood’s active pipeline includes 500 hotels and 120,000 rooms. Approximately half of Starwood’s new hotels are expected to open outside of North America. On the Web: www.starwood.com ANSWER EASY SUDOKU FROM PAGE 22
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Creating gender-friendly events BY JYL ASHTON CUNNINGHAM, CMP
How to accommodate the opposite sex at your conference ith the continuing upward spiral of women moving into high-level positions in the workplace, many corporate events are taking the plunge into previously un-chartered waters regarding customer appreciation days, employee incentives and spousal programs. Even male dominated industries, (according to a recent Financial Times article on attracting women executives to events) are acknowledging the increasing demand for less visits to the corporate box at the hockey arena, and more female-friendly employee incentives. It’s not just about male/female employees however. Corporations are becoming increasingly attuned to inviting spouses and families, to accompany employees on multiday and out of town conferences. Including the family is a win-win innovation for all kinds of reasons, such as: • Events can take place over weekends, which are often considered off-peak for conference destinations, so savings in the budget can accommodate more for programming. • Room rates are generally the same price for single or double occupancy, with the only additional expense being for meals and entertainment. • Spouses aren’t left behind, so may be less inclined to guilt-trip the employee into not attending, resulting in lower family stress which leads to higher work performance and improved employee retention.
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Deciding on gender-neutral extra-curricular activities can be a little overwhelming, with so many choices on the market. The key, as always, is to consider the objectives, keep an open mind and only be limited by the imagination. I was recently driving through Toronto and passed a defensive driving school with a slick skid patch. At the time (and with my eyes back on the road), I added a defensive driving course to the mental bank of “Things I would Like to Do when I Have More Time.” As often happens in the meeting planner brain, the thought became an idea for a valuable tool to use when considering conference extra-curricular activities. The idea developed and opened up a myriad of other realistic “How To” programs, that would also enhance the lives of participants and address the issue of never seeming to have enough time. 26
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CONSIDER THE OBJECTIVES OF YOUR SESSIONS As an exercise, try making a list of interesting projects that can be presented by an expert in a couple of hours and which always seem to be pushed to the back burner in your own world. Personal favourites include: defensive driving course; understanding what is under the hood of your car besides the window washer tank; how to get 50 minutes a day of exercise into a crazy schedule; how to plant a garden that flowers through the season and how to make time for yourself without feeling guilty. All these choices are interactive options, with plenty of potential for both demonstrations and hands-on participation. On considering the objectives that such sessions might address, the ones that spring to mind would be: Time Management, Work Life Balance, Teambuilding and Getting The Best from Employees. A concise and creatively designed survey of delegates and guests could ask for a wish list of the top three things they would like to do if they had the time (or the money if budget is not an issue), then compile a selection from the most popular. If it has been determined that guests prefer being pampered, rather than being engaged in an educational or interactive option, make sure that everyone can have equal opportunity for the experience. Spa visits are a popular choice, however many hotel spas can generally only accommodate a handful of people at one time, resulting in many guests being disappointed if they cannot be accommodated. When offering spa options, consider building customized treatment programs (designed by the spa), in one or two hour time slots, so that as many people as possible can participate. For the most part, programs that educate, as well as providing entertainment value, are generally considered more rewarding and memorable and a reason they are not more popular is possibly because they may not be offered in the first place. For example, a typical visit to a high-end department store outside opening hours might include breakfast and an hour with a personal shopper. By adding a half-hour presentation on wardrobe management, sustainable fabrics and socially responsible designers, from both male and female perspectives, the participant comes away with much more than a colour combination chart and a lighter wallet. A cooking class featuring international cuisine becomes a true culinary experience with a brief introduction to the country and a take-away basket of the dry ingredients used, a bottle of wine and a recipe book.
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When gender ratios differ it can be a challenge While the golf course has traditionally been considered a male networking environment, a recent visit to a driving range proved very much otherwise, as a mixed gender group participated in a golf clinic. From a female perspective, it may have helped somewhat that the male golf pro was pretty easy on the eye, however the most interesting aspect was watching the personality traits that ensued between the sexes. The men were kings of their domain, mostly experienced golfers and anxious not to show themselves up. The women on the other hand
(and this instance being largely novice golfers), were receptive to advice being offered, found humour in the situation when the golf ball went astray and seemed more relaxed as a result. At the end of the session, the women came away with a much higher sense of achievement and claimed to have had more fun than their male counterparts, who just wanted to hit the ball far and straight. Planning events for groups where the gender ratio is significantly higher on either side can often prove a challenge. The secret is to find the
Green thought of the month
Here are five easy ways to become part of the green movement: 1. Turn off lights and air conditioning when you leave your hotel room 2. When dining out, choose local foods produced in the area 3. Rent a hybrid or fuel-efficient car 4. Use your hotel towels and linens more than once 5. Look for “green-certified” hotels Suggestions? send to info@ theplanner.ca
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balance between acceptable practice and gender-friendly activities and by leveling the proverbial playing field in as professional manner as possible. The intent is to have a productive and enjoyable event, without causing offence or intimidation, which the suggestions above should achieve in just about any corporate circumstance. ••• Jyl Ashton Cunningham, CMP is owner of JAAC Meetings and Events By Design, and Associate Editor of The Planner, Ontario. Jyl welcomes your comments and can be reached at: jashton@theplanner.ca.
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Trends 2008
Weak dollar has an effect According to TripAdvisor, 41 percent of Americans said the unfavourable exchange rates will keep them at home this year. By inference, Canadians with a stronger dollar will travel stateside more this year. More importantly, hotels will be more open to negotiate, so don’t be shy to ask for what you want. If one hotel won’t give it to you, another will. For the Chinese, this may be the Year of The Rat – for planners it will be the Year of The Ask.
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ou may have noticed a shift in recent years in what it takes to satisfy customers. Customers are now making buying decisions less on the quality of an organization’s products and services, and more on the quality of the buying experience itself. If you’re a business owner or manager, this trend offers both risk and opportunity. To ensure that your organization profits from this shift in customer loyalty, consider a recent history of buying behaviors…
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When we call a company to send a plumber we don’t ask to screen candidates. We figure the person must have some sort of a ‘ticket’ or the company wouldn’t be hiring them. The teacher who instructs our children is assumed to have the proper certification. In other words, the technical capabilities of the person providing the service is generally taken for granted. Where we’ve ended up then, is a point where consumers now assume that when they buy a product from any large well-know manufacturer the product quality will be just fine. Or, if they use a service from any reasonably-sized firm the service person will be technically competent. In other words, quality itself no longer impresses consumers as much as it used to. Meanwhile, there is something more important that consumers are clamoring for.
WHY QUALITY IS NO LONGER TOP OF MIND When it came to satisfying customers in the era immediately following World War II, no one could beat the USA. With the development of the atomic bomb they had demonstrated that they had the most advanced technology on the planet. The fact that they had developed such a terrifyingly sophisticated product gave American businesses an unrivaled reputation for innovation. That reputation resulted in a ‘honeymoon’ demand for US products that exploded throughout the 1950s. Fast forward to the energy crises of the 1970s. People begin turning to smaller more fuel efficient vehicles made overseas. At first, the vehicles were perceived to be of poorer quality. Yet, in Japan in particular they embrace the concept of Kaizen – the practice of continuous improvement that had been introduced to them, ironically, by an American, W. Edwards Deming. Eventually, the quality of foreign vehicles and other consumer products – particularly electronic equipment – is perceived by consumers to be better that the stuff produced in North America. Domestic manufacturers are forced to improve quality. So, throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, North American manufacturers join the movement towards “Total Quality.” It works. Quality improves significantly. So much so, that now in the twenty first century, it’s not that consumers no longer care about the quality of manufactured products – it’s that quality is now taken for granted. So much for products. Interestingly, the same assumption about quality also applies to services. Consider the following…
WHAT CUSTOMERS WILL NOW PAY A PREMIUM FOR Consumers want to be appreciated. They want respect. They want it badly because in recent years they’ve lost so much of it. They’ve gotten fed up with phoning a large company and being told to, “Press 1 for… press 6 for …” (One of my seminar participants described this as being caught in “voice-mail-jail”). They’re tired of return policies that force them to find the original packaging and paperwork, spend time and postage, waiting and hoping. To create loyal customers, business owners and managers need to recognize that your quality alone won’t impress people that much. As we pointed out, quality is now assumed. Instead, there’s a huge opportunity to create loyalty when, in addition to solving the customer’s obvious immediate problem, you go the extra step to make the buying experience more humane. That means a hassle-free buying experience, and competent service professionals that understand how their product or service fits into the buying context of the customer. By context I mean how this purchase fits in to the customer’s overall needs, and how this transaction must be impacting the customer’s day. Bottom line: you may have reliable products and licensed service providers, but the question customers really care about now is, “What are you like to do business with?”
WHY CREDENTIALS DON’T STAND OUT When it comes to hiring services, consumers now simply take it as a given that the person is ‘qualified’ to be providing the service.
This article is based on the bestselling book, Becoming a Service Icon in 90 Minutes a Month by customer service strategist and professional speaker Jeff Mowatt. To obtain your own copy of his book or to inquire about engaging Jeff for your team, visit www.jeffmowatt.com or call 1-800-JMowatt (566-9288).
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D AT E B O O K Upcoming Events March 9-12, 2008 Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors-International, Annual Conference, Riviera Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas. Contact: (877) 502-2233, www.acced-i.org March 24 – Easter
March 27-30, 2008 International Association of Conference Centers, Annual Conference, Zermatt Resort and Spa, Midway, Utah. Contact: (314) 993-85753, www.iacconline.org April 6-9, 2008 Society of Independent Show Organizers, Annual CEO Summit, The Vinoy Hotel, St. Petersburg, Florida. Contact: (708) 361-0900, www.siso.org.
April 18-20, 2008 Meeting Professionals International, European Meetings and Events Conference, ExCel London, London. Contact: (972) 702-3000, www.mpiweb.org.
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April 22-24, 2008 IMEX, Worldwide Exhibition for Incentive Travel, Meetings & Events, Messe Frankfurt, Germany. Contact: (011) 44-1273227311, www.imex-frankfurt.com. May 11 – Mother’s Day May 19 – Victoria Day
May 18-20, 2008 Association of Corporate Travel Executives, global Conference, Grand Hyatt, Washington, D.C., Contact: (703) 683-5322, www.acte.org.
June 11-14, 2008 Society of Government Meeting Professionals, Annual Education Conference, The Anatole Hotel, Dallas. Contact: (703) 549-0892, www.sgmp.org.
July 25-29, 2008 International Association of Assembly Managers, Annual Conference & Trade Show, Anaheim (Calif.) Convention Centre. Contact: (972) 906-7441, www.iaam.org. July 27-30, 2008 National Business Travel Association, Annual International Convention & Exposition, Los Angeles Convention Centre. Contact: (703) 684-0836, www.nbta.org. •••
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Websites of Venues Survey 1. What is the most unusual venue(s) in which you have held an event? The Top 5 1. A navy submarine 2. An airplane hangar 3. In the desert 4. A ranch 5. On an aircraft carrier 2. Are restaurants your favouite off-site venues? Yes 34% No 66% 3. Have your event budgets increased, decreased or stayed the same for 2008? Increased 32% Decreased 28% Stayed the same 40% 4. How do you go about finding new venues?* Colleagues 78% Planner Venues Guides 55% Other 53% *Note: Some respondents used more than one method.
We would like to thank Via Rail Canada for sponsoring this contest. Set the direction for your next business meeting by hosting it onboard VIA’s Priva chartered car service.
interest
A help desk application with a difference www.zendesk.com Your company’s IT staff and everyone who uses a computer in the office will love Zendesk. People log on to Zendesk when there is a problem which generates a trouble ticket which can be integrated with email, complete with attachments tracked via RSS or tracked on the Zendesk site in a browser. All tickets can be edited or annotated with comments and organized in a variety of ways for easy tracking. All ticket activity is tracked and easily audited. There is also a variety of report tools that allow you to track your help desk efficiency. There is a free version of Zendesk for personal use, but most companies will have to sign up for one of the paid packages offered by the company. And now presenting... www.presentationzen.com As a general rule, most of us could use a little work in improving our presentation skills. And we know when we are watching a good presentation: It is entertaining, informative and a pleasure to sit through. Now there’s a site that is dedicated to helping people elevate their own presentation style to a higher level. The site is a companion to a soon-to-be-published book of the same name by Garr Reynolds. He discusses the creation of the book and points out examples of sample presentations online that he singles out as being exemplary. he provides analyses of what makes these speeches work. The style and content differ for the presentations, so not only do you get to study how the various presenters perform but you also learn something as well.
On the Web: www.viarail.ca/priva If you have a Website you think fellow planners might find useful, send us a note at: info@theplanner.ca.
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