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Year 8 Vol. 1, Issue 88 Visionary, Founder, Jose-Manuel GARCIA jmgarcia@ividmc.travel and Master Coach President Jose-Manuel (Manolo) GARCIA manolo@ividmc.com
Contents:
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How to Prepare Fried Plantains
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Cover Subject:
Dominican Republic
Marketing Vice President Alicia ASTUDILLO, DMCP aastudillo@ividmc.com General Comptroller Trinidad SANCHEZ tsanchez@ividmc.com
Dolphin Discovery Coco Bongo Terminal B Medieval
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Corporate Business Director Francisco BAEZA fbaeza@ividmc.com
3 Kings’ Day (Dia de Reyes): Friends of the Maya Foundation Giving Back to the Community
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Corporate Quality Director Julia ORTIZ jortiz@ividmc.com
Eventing - Budget: First Step to Planning Your Wedding
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Mexico’s Caribbean Will Be Lighter Longer!!!
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DQuest.travel
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Electronic Publishing Alejandro PECH apech@ividmc.com Content and Editing Omar GALLEGOS ivicorp@ividmc.com
Quick Hits:
Managing Director Jorge OROZCO jorozco@myday.travel —MyDay Travel Corporate Headquarters: Av. Acanceh 1-01, SM 15 Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico 77500 Ph. +52 (998) 287-1700 www.ividmc.com
United Offers New Destinations From Houston
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Hyatt Pre-opening Group Special!!!
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Dr. Travel’s: Common Sense From a Child
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Destination Offices: Mexico
The Caribbean & Central America
South America
IVI DMC² Los Cabos Mario FOSTER Destination Manager mfoster@ividmc.travel
IVI DMC² Dominican Republic Genaro ALMONTE Regional Managing Director galmonte@ividmc.com
IVI DMC² Colombia Carolina CALDERON Regional Managing Director ccalderon@ividmc.com
IVI DMC² Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit, Mexico City & Central Mexico Jaime NELO Regional Managing Director jnelo@ividmc.com
IVI DMC² Costa Rica Sonia VARGAS Destination Manager svargas@ividmc.com
IVI DMC² Brazil Andrea MAJELA Regional Managing Director amajela@ividmc.com
IVI DMC² Panama Ligia VARGAS Regional Managing Director lvargas@ividmc.com
IVI DMC² Argentina & Chile Leila GOROSITO Regional Managing Director lgorosito@ividmc.com
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January 2015
How to Prepare Fried Plantains Plantains are a staple in Dominican Republic, and a favorite throughout the Caribbean. From boiling to frying, there are many ways to prepare them and they are so delicious! If you want them to be salty like a chip snack you need to use unripen plantains. For a sweeter caramelized snack you will want to use ripe plantains. Ingredients
1/2 liter of cooking oil
2 plantains
Instructions
Preheat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
Peel the plantains and cut them into bite size pieces.
Fry the pieces until tender. Remove from oil.
expectations by going the extra mile so to speak in regard to superlative service. A satisfied client is our ultimate goal. With these lofty standards in mind, we strive to choose and only work with suppliers that meet our criteria in order to render an out-of-the-ordinary service.
Message From Headquarters As President of IVI DMC2, I deem it an honor to run this prestigious company and continue its positioning as one of the best in the market. The canons assertively say that the customer is first, and I concur. I also agree that our associates are the strong backbone of our company, and I consider them as my extended family. Without them we would not be where we are today.
After 28 eventful years in the business, IVI DMC2 is proud of the relationships we have forged with thousands of satisfied customers. We invite you to enjoy the pleasure of doing business with us and see for yourself that an unforgettable and successful event is feasible. You have my unfailing commitment to make you and your group look great!
Our company is recognized in the M&I industry as being down to earth and having an outstanding service-minded attitude. Our unchangeable commitment is to exceed our customers’
Sincerely, Jose-Manuel (Manolo) GARCIA President
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Cover Topic: Dominican Republic Dolphin Discovery Dolphin Discovery recently opened its 16th dolphinarium, Dolphin Discovery Punta Cana. It features 3 dolphin enclosures that have a total water volume of 2,500 square meters with a depth of 6 meters, making for a total of 14,000,000 liters of water. This makes it the Caribbean's largest artificial lagoon for dolphins, with an investment of $15 million dollars and the latest technology. The construction of the first phase was performed in a record time of 100 days, creating jobs for 400 people. Come and have a close encounter with these friendly mammals.
Coco Bongo The famous nightclub and theater chain Coco Bongo Group, has opened in Punta Cana. The construction covers an area of 4,000 m2 (13,000 ft2) in downtown Punta Cana. Boasting an investment of around $10 million USD, and a capacity for 1,000 people. It has generated 350 direct jobs. Each night Coco Bongo creates the best party with its unique atmosphere, acrobatic shows, imitations of famous artists, best service, and all the details that distinguish the hallmark of Coco Bongo.
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New Terminal Punta Cana International Airport Since November 1, 2014 the new Terminal B in Punta Cana International Airport (AIPC) has begun operating. The Punta Cana Group made this terminal with a total investment of over $100 million USD. It has increased airport operations by more than 10%. Boasting an area of 24,000 sq m, an additional 1.5 million passengers are able to be received, making for a yearly grand total of 3 million tourists to this airport. This has generated more than 1,500 direct jobs. This is a fully air conditioned terminal and one of its greatest innovations are the jet bridges.
Medieval Dinner Show As of Sunday December 21, 2014, Punta Cana Medieval dinner show returned. Located at Imagine Cave, this dinner show is different, original, and fun! An amazing location for you to enjoy a spectacular dinner set in medieval times. The guests dress up in clothing from this time period to see the story of love and honor played out around them. Dancing, fire juggling, and to cap it all off, an exhibition of weapons, siege machines, and medieval outfits to make this a truly unforgettable experience.
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Giving Back to the Community
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3 Kings’ Day (Dia de Reyes) Dia de Reyes Celebration 2015 Community Camp Hidalgo, Yucatan Sponsored by IVI DMC2 & UT Cancun This was the first visit made to this community. We will be integrating ourselves little by little into the development of programmed activities in this area. 7 roscas de reyes (the traditional bread eaten on this holiday occasion) were enjoyed by 60 children and their mothers. Families offered refreshments and a dish of food for each child. The children’s faces especially lit up as they received one of the 60 toys that were distributed.
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Eventing Budget: First Step to Start Planning Your Wedding One subject that we consider extremely important to start planning your wedding is the budget. It is very important to take your time and discuss this theme and be realistic of how much both can spend on this special moment. Also talk to your parents, there are traditional families that pay for the complete wedding but would probably like to make the decisions. There are other parents who prefer to pay part of the bill, pay a supplier, or nothing at all. So communication is important. The first step is to create a list of what elements you would like to have in your wedding. Start with what’s essential and then consider others that are less important. Research the approximate cost of these items. Figure out the kind of wedding you would love to have and try to establish a possible date for the event. Hiring a wedding planner is a great investment as they have a well rounded idea and are well experienced in budgeting even to the minute details. They will make your job much more easier. Sometimes couples have the idea that paying for a wedding planner will be much more expensive but that is not true. They will help you save time and money. They will give you practical advice to know where your budget will be well invested. The best budget is what you will be able to pay, not the one that will stress you out or make you feel you are losing control. A destination wedding is always a great option! Even thinking that you will spend more money on the trip, for sure your guest number will be lower than if you stayed in your hometown. This factor alone will allow you to significantly reduce wedding costs and have more elements for your dream wedding.
Quintana Roo state - which boasts important destinations such as Cancun, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, and the Mayan Riviera - will have a new time zone: The Southeastern Time Zone. This will result in clocks being moved forward by one hour. It has already been approved and will go into effect February 1, 2015!!! This change is intended to improve the state’s competitiveness in the tourist industry. This new zone will correspond to EST (United States Eastern Standard Time).
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Destinations Mexico • Dominican Republic • Guatemala • Costa Rica • Panama • Colombia • Brazil • Argentina • Chile This portal was created to assist Meeting Planners in easily locating ideal destinations, hotels, services, and activities within the group market in Latin America. On this site you will find a large collection of photographs and videos of selected hotels, tours, and activities that fit the needs of the M&I industry, as well as a RFP engine that will directly connect you with the hotel of your interest.
Easy to use Go to the menu on top of the home page and click on the destination(s) of your interest. For instance, if you want to know more about Dominican Republic for a possible group follow these steps: From “Destinations” select Dominican Republic. Immediately you will be on the Dominican Republic home page. As with each destination, you can see 10 reasons that make each destination stand out above the rest. You can click on each photo to see even more images. To the right side there is a submenu showing airlines, hotels, restaurants, what to see, and what to do, etc. The content of each submenu includes: property description, amenities, location (google map), photos, videos, pdf downloads. Some properties have 3600 photos. You can use this site for your own presentations; feel free to use the photos and videos. From the home page menu you can easily access videos, sample programs, change the language, get connected through our social media, & contact us.
About Us... Our Vision: To run a world-class company that sets fresh trends and establishes new standards for best practices in the M&I industry by exceeding customer expectations. Mission Statement: To earn and maintain our clients’ trust at each one of our destinations by convincing them that their goals are our goals, and by delivering services that exceed industry standards and customer expectations. We also will meet client needs by providing exceptional product knowledge, creative solutions, cost-value and effectiveness in every measurable way. We pride ourselves on our efficient business organization that relies on strong management systems, ISO quality standards, and belief in the remarkable abilities of our people. Our mission also features an infinite commitment: "To make you look great!" Our People: IVI DMC2 has more than 150 year-round full-time associates within the entire Latin American network with great personalities, knowledge, a caring attitude, and vast M&I business experience! “Yes, since 1986, we are those neatly attired people in the turquoise blue and white uniforms. Many people call us "the Smurfs". We are knowledgeable, witty, fun to have around, and beautiful or handsome (not necessarily in that order).”
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Quick Hits Chile United launched new daily nonstop Houston
flights between and Santiago,
Chile, on December 7, 2014. “The new Santiago service is a great addition to United’s Latin American route portfolio,” said John Slater, United’s vice president of sales for the Americas. “These flights will not only give Houston-area travelers nonstop access to Santiago, but will also provide convenient one-stop connections at the hub to and from dozens of cities in United’s global route network, including key markets such as Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington and Tokyo.” Flight 847 departs from Houston daily at 9:35 p.m., and arrives at Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago at 10:10 a.m. local time the following day. Returning flight 846 departs Santiago at 11 p.m. and arrives in Houston at 5:55 a.m. the next day. Flights operate using Boeing 767-300 aircrafts with a total of 214 seats. Every customer has personal on-demand in-seat entertainment aboard.
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January 2015
IVI DMC² World Headquarters: Ave. Acanceh #1-01, SM 15 Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico Phone: +52 (998) 287-1700 Email: ivicorp@ividmc.com
Dominican Republic Beginning December 20, 2014, United added a weekly Saturday service from Houston to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Flights will operate year-round, increasing to daily service for the summer peak-travel period from June 4 to August 17, 2015. United, the U.S. airline with the most comprehensive global route network, serves a total of 62 destinations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean with more than 930 flights. Information and pictures taken from: https://hub.united.com/en-us/news/companyoperations/pages/new-service-to-santiago-chile.aspx Copyright © 2015 United Airlines, Inc.
For further information on the fine hotels, deals, activities, and group packages mentioned in this magazine please contact Alicia Astudillo: aastudillo@ividmc.com
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Serving the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions Industry since 1986. Find us in over 40 destinations throughout:
Mexico Dominican Republic Guatemala Costa Rica Panama Colombia Brazil Argentina Chile
Hyatt Pre-opening Group Special!!!
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January 2015
Doctor Travel’s: Common Sense From a Child Children can be wonderful teachers when it comes to dealing with any kind of airline upset. I learned a great lesson from some children one day when my very early morning flight was canceled. While standing in line to be reticketed, I noticed how kids were reacting to the situation. They simply took out their Mutant Ninja Turtle toys, sat on the floor, and had fun playing. The adults, on the other hand, were moaning and groaning about the inconvenience. What the children did was use the extra time to enjoy themselves. You, too, can be creative in any airline adversity. Find something enjoyable to do instead of complaining. And be prepared, in advance, like the children. Bring something you can enjoy. Do not work! Enjoy your crossword puzzle, write a postcard to your family and friends, or simply peoplewatch. The rest of the trip will be easier. (Taken from page 10) James Feldman, (a.k.a. Doctor Travel) is a Certified Facilitator and internationally recognized professional motivator, author, television host, and radio personality. His company Incentive Travelers Cheque Int’l provides individual and group incentive travel awards for many Fortune 500 companies. His book “Doctor’s Travel Cure For The Common Trip” is an entertaining and invaluable travel guide whose purpose is not to tell you where to go, but rather to help you get ready for the adventure. Communiquest is pleased to share some of Mr. Feldman’s travel wisdom with our readers, who from time to time must deal with lines, cancellations, lost luggage, and a person in the adjacent seat making extensive use of the air sickness bag. Reprinted by permission from the Author: jfeldman@itcheque.com
THANK YOU FOR READING Like life in general, the M&I Industry seems to move at the speed of light. As a committed B2B partner, we aim to help you keep up with the latest industry news and opportunities. CommuniQuest magazine is a valuable tool that brings you the timely information and analysis that you need, with a lair for what's hot, relevant, and interesting. I wish you the best of success in your quest, whatever it may be.
Jose-Manuel GARCIA Visionary, Founder, & Master Coach IVI DMC²
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The Customer is Always Right
Fabian was awesome and so patient dealing with constant changes. Ricardo and Santiago and all the other staff were amazing. Logistics onsite as well as the tours were executed exceptionally. Thank you. Jessica Nelson
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