Check us out at pcma.org
the heartland beat
What is the New Normal in Meeting Management?
th
SUMMER 2009
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: • • • •
The Business Value of Meetings, Events & Incentive Travel All-Star Line-up of Unique Venues – Kansas City, MO Creative Sponsorship Ideas in Tough Times The “New Normal Leadership” Focusing on Feedforward, Not Just Feedback
2009 Heartland Chapter Board of Directors President Teresa Hellman National Account Manager Experient, Inc.
a message from teresa...
These are the best of times; these are the worst of times. These are the best of times because I’ve never seen the Hospitality Industry pull together like it has with the new ”Meetings Mean Business” website (www.meetingsmeanbusiness.com) and the “Face of Travel” video campaign being coordinated by the US Travel Association. We are working like never before to make sure that our meetings are taken seriously; that just because some people have wasted company funds on what may appear to be frivolous items, doesn’t mean that all face-to-face meetings are a waste of money. While we appear to be turning the tide on this subject in the media, I would still recommend the best practice of preparing a “Reasons to attend our meeting” document for attendees to use on your meeting web-site.
President-Elect Missy Johnson, CMP Manager, Meeting Services American Academy of Family Physicians
Secretary Robin O’Connor Destination Management Professional
Treasurer Michelle Beniak Independent Planner
Immediate Past-President Dale Schuter, CMP Meetings and Exposition Manager Electrical Apparatus Service Association
Directors Ronda Vaughn, CMP, Meeting Services Director, Optimist International Vicki Comegys Vice President of Sales & Services Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau Marilyn Koehler Director of National Accounts Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau Mary Ryan Convention Sales Manager Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association Jenny Conrad, CMP Sales Manager Gateway Center Mike Rowan Account Executive Experient, Inc.
CHAPTER ADMINISTRATORS Nonie Lowry LP etc Marcia McIntyre LP etc
CONTACT INFORMATION heartland.chapter@pcma.org 913.402.7102
2
These are also some of the worst times I’ve seen, for both hoteliers and clients alike. Those that have been in the industry for a long time know that we always experience swings in supplier-driven and planner-driven negotiations. For the first time, planners suffering attrition in this current year but are also are able to contract fantastic deals in high-demand cities for 2012. I think that many of these issues are debt-driven, just like many other problems not related to our industry. Most hotels put off renovations after 9/11 until the past couple of years as business started to recover. Then as the rates were back up to pre-9/11 hotel rates, the bottom fell out of almost every industry market. Now, many groups are having a hard time filling their blocks, and the hotels are in such debt themselves that they can’t afford to allow groups to walk away from attrition charges. It’s painful for all parties. More than ever, it’s important to be strategic in your business relations; to not just have contacts, but true partnerships. I’d recommend reading “Relationship Economics”, by David Nour on the importance of building long-term relationships and not just contacts. Other best practices touted at the recent Education Conference in Tulsa (see cover story entitled “What is the New Normal in Meetings Management?”) spoke to reviewing all of your meeting contracts again. Before you make any changes to your program, bring all the partners together to discuss how this impacts their area. Your partners can’t help you reduce your expenses if you don’t tell them you have a problem. It’s not going to be an easy year that is a given, but we must always keep our long-term goals in the forefront of our minds. I’ll leave you with a quote that I think encompasses the key to successful partnerships. “I have found no greater satisfaction than achieving success through honest dealing and strict adherence to the view that, for you to gain, those you deal with should gain as well.” Alan Greenspan.
All my best,
Teresa Hellman 2009 Heartland President
PCMA is offering the most comprehensive, up-to-date CMP Study Course materials available. This new study course blends face-to-face interaction with online testing and is the first in the industry to align CMP Study Course curriculum with the Convention Industry Council Manual, Eighth Edition. Visit www.pcma.org/cmp for more information on the CMP Study Course.
Emerging Leaders Update The Emerging Leaders Committee continues to work on building relationships in the region. We are very excited to have reached out to students at Northeastern State University in Tulsa to assist in developing a fun breakfast presentation and hands-on learning experience for all of those who are new to Facebook! If you weren’t in Tulsa at the educational conference, you missed out! We have also added LinkedIn and Facebook links on the Heartland Chapter website. This makes it very easy for anyone who is a member to access either one. If you aren’t a member, we encourage you to go to one or both, register and become part of the increased stream of communication our chapter is striving for.
Heartland Annual Bowling Event Be sure to mark your calendar for this Annual event which is being overhauled to insure maximum amount of fun! August 3rd will feature “Crazy Bowl” where you’ll Flamingo Bowl, Bowl with your eyes shut. This is how the Heartland Chapter rolls! Cvent invitation will be coming out very soon, so sign up early for this limited space event.
2009 Heartland Chapter Committee Chairs Annual Meeting Dale Shuter, CMP Meetings and Exposition Manager Electrical Apparatus Service Association
Awards and Scholarship Mike Rowan Account Executive Experient, Inc.
CLC Dale Shuter, CMP Meetings and Exposition Manager Electrical Apparatus Service Association Kevin O’Keefe, CASE Director of National Group Accounts Marriott Global Sales Organization
Communications & Newsletter Editor Christine Pennel-Jones, National Account Manager Experient, Inc.
Community Service Chair Terri Denman Senior Sales Manager Marriott Downtown Kansas City
Membership
Welcome New Members! Lynn Skall Sales Manager Keystone Resort National
Sandy Roady Meetings & Convention Manager Piano Technicians Guild
Gina Maria Rettig Senior Sales Manager Kansas City Marriott
Shea M. Paredes Program Manager Bishop-McCann
Gerard P. Murphy President Gerard Murphy & Associates
Brad Plumb, CMP Sales Manager Overland Park Convention & Visitors Bureau
Mary David Events Manager Kauffman Performing Arts Center Gretchen Jaspering President Giant Screen Cinema Association Brandon Lowe Vice-President Add Sales Becky A. Wiederman Sales Manager InterContinental Kansas City
Carrie S. Stricker Manager Country Real Estate United Country Real Estate Samantha Leanne Cloud Conference Coordinator Management Executives
Dale Shuter, CMP Meetings and Exposition Manager Electrical Apparatus Service Association
Nominations Dale Shuter, CMP Meetings and Exposition Manager Electrical Apparatus Service Association
Programs Chair Sherie Howell, CMP, CMM Conference Manager A-S-K Associates, Inc.
Sponsorship Chair Ronda Vaughn Meeting Services Director Optimist International
Emerging Leaders Kristen Kimbrel, CMP Meeting Planner American Academy of Family Physicians
Bill Svoboda CEO EventPros, Inc.
3
What is the New Normal in Meeting Management? By Teresa Hellman, Experient
Attrition negotiation tips from Naomi Angel at Howe & Hutton, Inc.: 1. Share bad news right away 2. Formulate a strategy to tackle challenges 3. Ensure all commitments are in writing 4. Troubleshoot potential problems 5. Gather as much information as possible about the issue
Special Thank you to our 2009 Ed Con Committee: Michelle Beniak, CMP Chair, Independent Planner Deborah Bass-Petranek San Mateo CVB Vicki Burnett Doubletree Tulsa Teresa Hellman Experient Amy Huntley Tulsa CVB Marilyn Koehler Little Rock CVB Kristen Kimbrel AAFP Rachell LeLeux Doubletree Tulsa Michelle Murdock Argosy Casino, Hotel & Spa John Roe Tulsa CVB Ronda Vaughn Optimist International
“It’s not a matter of whether to have a faceto-face meeting or a webinar, but rather how can one meeting builds off the other to provide better communication to the members.” Sherrie Howell, CMP, CMM, A-S-K Associates
What is the New Normal in Meeting Management? It’s a question keeping many meeting professionals up at night and it was the main topic during the conference held at the Doubletree Tulsa, Oklahoma It was a question that was answered in various ways by several different highly qualified speakers, meeting planners and suppliers alike. Everyone left the meeting feeling like had learned something from someone else that they will be able to implement during their next meeting. The Conference kicked off at the Cherokee Casino, which has undergone a multi-million renovation and will soon be re-flagged as the Hard Rock Casino- Tulsa. The Hotel has some really nice meeting space and we enjoyed a very nice reception but since there were no BIG winners on the tables everyone made it to the Education Sessions early Friday morning. The Emerging Leaders committee chair, Kristen Kimbrel, AAFP coordinated with two college students from Northeastern State University to present the opening breakfast session - Facebook 101. The students were very well prepared as they laid out to us how they use Facebook, and why they use it as well as the basics of setting up a page. The wheels were turning as to how we can apply Facebook and other social networking mediums to our meetings department and how by functioning within Facebook and other social networking environments, we are creating community. This brings us to the next topic of the morning how we might apply social networking to their meetings environment. Sherie Howell, CMP, CMM presented the session titled CEO Perspective: Face-to-Face meetings are an integral part of “Creating Community”: What is your strategic role as a planner? She started out with what is the definition of community and quickly dove into the meat of the program, which was the fact that all meetings need to build on each other, creating a community or network of trusted resources. It’s not a matter of whether to have a face-to-face meeting or a webinar, but rather how can one meeting builds off the other to provide better communication to the members. One of the points she made was that the rise in popularity of social networking media comes as a result of not so much the need for replacements to connecting someone in person but tools that simply offer different ways to connect. Following Sherie’s session was a panel titled What’s Next? A panel of seasoned professionals discuss 2010 and beyond. The panel included: Missy Johnson, AAFP, Sarah McCabe, Austin CVB and Peggy Shandy Lane, Advanstar, moderated by Teresa Hellman, Experient. The main take-a way’s from this session were: 1. Read all of your supplier contracts again, minimum one year prior to your event, 18 months out would be better. 2. When discussing changes to your meeting make sure you involve all of your supplier partners so that they can provide insight as to how these changes might impact your current contracts. 3. Look at your budget differently for example in reviewing sponsorship novelty items, consider imprinting them with information that can be used from one meeting to another rather than event specific.
Those are just a few of the many ideas shared from the panelist and even more from the members of the audience. During lunch we heard from Jeff Beasley, President & CEO, of mobiManage. He spoke on the topic of going mobile with your meeting messages. It’s very complicated as phones change even more frequently than computers do. Jeff provided a well informed and entertaining luncheon topic that had most of us thinking it would be wise to do your homework before jumping into the mobile messaging medium.
The Business Value of Meetings, Events & Incentive Travel
After lunch, we had a great time on the Tulsa Amazing Race Photo Scavenger Hunt as we broke into two teams that would find the various famous stops in Tulsa. Tulsa has a long and rich history and some beautiful architecture as a result of early gas and oil money in this part of the country. We saw some beautiful sites and finished the hunt at a local pub in the heart of the “Mayfest” taking place that week-end. That evening we boarded a bus for the Tulsa Air and Space Museum. Again, as a result of the early oil operations the airline industry also got an early start in Oklahoma and it was fun to have dinner among the various aircraft and even more fun to sit in the pilot seat of a jet fighter! We also reviewed the photos of the Scavenger Hunt and had a great time. On Saturday we started early with some great peer-to-peer learning during the round-table topics, Attendance Building Strategies and Maximizing Sponsorships and Ancillary dollars. There is a statistic that states that 70% of all learning at meetings takes place in peer-to-peer learning that was certainly the case during this open dialog. And then we closed the meeting with Naomi Angel of Howe & Hutton, Ltd. Naomi shared with the group the latest in best practices and contract language for avoiding attrition and various other service charges. Naomi presentation delivery style made for a nice open session that was very interactive and a lot of lessons learned sharing.
Excerpts from Statement released by US Travel Association •
A survey by the Kellogg School of Management found that 82% of top executives believe that travel is important to achieving their business objectives. One-third of executives (31%) think that cuts to travel budgets will have a negative impact on their company’s bottom line.
•
72% of businesses believe that increasing travel while others are cutting back creates an opportunity to build market share and new customer relationships.
•
According to recent national opinion research, half of the respondents (47%) believe that cuts in business travel will have a negative impact on their company’s bottom line.
•
According to a recent survey of Fortune 1,000 Chief Marketing Officers, meetings and events provide the highest return on investment of any marketing channel.
•
Meetings and events are strategic tools that deepen employee relationships and contribute to the overall health of companies. A 5% increase in employee retention can generate a 25 to 85% increase in profitability.
•
Despite advances in technology, conference calls cannot replace the value of faceto-face meeting. In a recent survey of senior executives, 81% of respondents admit to sending emails while on conference calls and 75% acknowledge having side conversations.
•
Business travelers surveyed by Oxford Economics estimate that nearly 40% of their prospective customers are converted to new customers with an in-person meeting, compared to an average 16% conversion rate without an in-person meeting.
Some of her negotiation tips were: 1. Share bad news right away 2. Formulate a strategy to tackle challenges 3. Ensure all commitments are in writing 4. Troubleshoot potential problems 5. Gather as much information as possible about the issue As we closed the conference we thanked the Tulsa Convention and Visitors Bureau for being such great hosts and recognized the Doubletree Downtown Tulsa for working with our chapter to run such a great program. But we would be remiss if we did not recognize Michelle Beniak, CMP for coordinating such an outstanding event, and Ronda Vaughn for helping secure event sponsorships. It was a great meeting and it took a lot of people to make it happen.
Executives, academics and pundits recognize the business value of MEI travel: •
“The president believes it’s important to have a strong tourism industry and that it’s important that... we shouldn’t retrench. He would encourage people to travel.” � Robert Gibbs, White House press secretary
•
“Who would be better off if business travel for meetings ground to a halt? No one and nothing. Business meetings are not the enemy. In terms of making the nation more productive and better off, they are builders, not saboteurs.” Ben Stein, lawyer, writer, actor and economist
•
5
All-Star Line-up of Unique Venues – Kansas City, MO By Tricia Kullman-Ruiz, ThirdVerve Intrepid members of the PCMA Heartland Chapter braved a chilly, windy, rainy Midwest evening to tour four unique venues in Kansas City on April 2, 2011. Gathering at the brand-new Cosentino’s supermarket in downtown Kansas City, several members and potential members took a bus, sponsored by Agenda KC, to the various locales. During our bus ride and in between beverages and snacks, committee chairs and representatives gave updates on their committee work.
FIRST STOP: KAUFFMAN STADIUM.
Eight days out from the opening Royals baseball game, with still plenty of work to do, members took a hard hat tour of the renovated Kauffman baseball stadium. $250 million in improvements to the existing stadium netted new offices, wider concourses, more food and beverage outlets including a bar/restaurant overlooking the outfield and a party deck on the roof of the restaurant. Also featured are a new children’s area and several new suites available for rental.
SECOND STOP: KAUFFMAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS.
PCMA Member and Events Manager at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Mary Davison, greeted us then turned the tour over to Mr. Ken Dworak, Project Manager for the Kauffman Center and Owners Representative on the Board of Directors. After distributing hard hats, the group toured the site for the center which is a gigantic concrete shell in its present state. At completion in 2011, the center will feature a 1,600 seat concert hall and a 1,800 seat proscenium theatre. The Center will be the performance home for the Kansas City Symphony, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and the Kansa City Ballet. Once complete, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts will offer a variety of rooms and unique spaces available for rental.
THIRD STOP: COLLEGE BASKETBALL EXPERIENCE.
Competing for parking with the Britney Spears concert attendees, the Unique Venues bus stopped in front of the College Basketball Experience. Once inside and warm, the tour was highlighted by enough free time to shoot hoops, practice sports broadcasting, and measure your feet against Shaquille Oneal’s basketball shoes. Other attractions include a college basketball hall of fame.
LAST STOP: LUCKY STRIKE LANES.
Our last stop was in the heart of the Kansas City Power & Light District. Lucky Strike Lanes is an upscale bowling lounge featuring 10 bowling lanes and voluminous bar seating. Areas for rental are made semiprivate with the pull of a curtain. The $5 billion makeover to Kansas City is impressive and it was great to see some of the venues that are contributing to the resurgence of the downtown area. THANK YOU AGENDA KANSAS CITY FOR SPONSORING THE TRANSPORTATION!
6
Creative
Sponsorship Ideas in Tough Times
By Lisa Miller, National Cable Television Cooperative A common challenge for meeting planners, securing sponsors and creative use of sponsorship dollars, was the topic at the March 11th 2009 meeting of the PCMA Heartland Chapter. The meeting was sponsored by the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark as they served as hosts. The session was aimed at the challenges planners face securing sponsorships during a difficult economic climate. The panelists shared many thoughts and ideas including having a well defined sponsorship strategy, developing relationships with your sponsors and realizing that for many sponsors the conversation often starts with “No”. One of the first items discussed was not to ignore the elephant in the room – the economic situation is on everyone’s minds and is part of all company’s’ current decisions when spending money. Planners should bring up the economic situation and use it as a talking point in why companies need to sponsor/market now more than ever. While other companies may be cutting back, this could be another company’s opportunity to stand out, especially companies with smaller sponsorship budgets whose efforts might have been
overshadowed in the past by larger sponsors. Planners need to clearly know their meeting, the attendees, exhibitors and sponsors. You should be able to communicate your meeting’s unique value and what you can offer sponsors that they can’t get on their own. Give them statistics, including the percentage of decision makers attending the show or what percentage of attendees are their “target” audience. Find out what’s important to the sponsor, what their goals are for this meeting, what new product are they launching and then work with them on finding a sponsorship that will help promote their message. What can you give the decision influencer to help the decision maker give you a “yes” and not a “no”? The panelists discussed several ideas for retaining sponsorships or adding value to a sponsorship. Offering a “right of first refusal” on a sponsorship gives the sponsor exclusivity to that sponsorship and makes it easier to say yes year after year. Adding low or no cost extras to a sponsorship, like an opportunity for an email blast or a special invitation from the sponsor to their sponsored event, can help give a sponsorship a little more
value. Planners should also be flexible and welcome customized sponsorships; work with the sponsor and listen to their ideas to help make a custom sponsorship fit their needs. Another important suggestion: develop a year round relationship with your sponsor. Be proactive and not passive; do not simply send a form letter and signup sheet. Follow up with a phone call and continue that relationship before, during and after the conference. Be sure they are taking advantage of all the opportunities the sponsorship has to offer: make it a sponsorship partnership that lasts thru the year. The informative session owes its success to the excellent panel of sponsorship experts including: Teresa Hellman, National Account Manager, Experient (2009 Heartland Chapter President), Joseph Karel, Director of Fund Development, Turnaround Management Association and Scott Ball; Vice President, Association Development Solutions. The moderator for the panel was John Bettag, Director of Corp Meeting Sales, St. Louis CVC.
Model Board Policy for TARP for Meetings and Events Here are some highlights from the recently crafted Model Board Policy for adoption within organizations which received government funds through the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). This model board policy was developed through joint collaboration by the American Hotel and Lodging Association, Destination Marketing Association International, International Association of Exhibitions and Events, Meeting Professionals International, National Business Travel Association, Professional Convention Management Association, Society of Incentive Travel Executives and the U.S. Travel Association to be proactive in the changing economic environment. While these guidelines might not affect your organization now, be assured that this will shape the future of the meetings industry. This model policy is intended for adoption by companies receiving emergency lending from the federal government. If other companies are interested in adopting these guidelines, they may choose to alter metrics based upon industry size, company size and market sector. •
•
All proposed meetings, events and incentive/recognition travel organized by the company must serve one or more specified legitimate business purposes (see representative listing attached). Each proposed meeting, event or incentive/recognition travel with a cost exceeding $75,000 must be supported by a written business case identifying a specific business purpose. Total annual expenses for meetings, events and incentive/recognition travel shall not exceed 15 percent of the company’s total sales and marketing spend.
EXAMPLES OF LEGITIMATE BUSINESS PURPOSES FOR MEETINGS, EVENTS, INCENTIVE/RECOGNITION TRAVEL As with all business expenditures authorized in these challenging circumstances, all proposed expenditures for meetings, events and incentive/ recognition travel should be made to strengthen the competitive position of the company in the marketplace and position the company for the creation of longterm value and growth. Below is a representative list of legitimate business purposes for meetings, events and incentive/recognition travel. • •
• •
• •
Sales conferences and employee meetings to align vision, strategy and tactics. Training and staff development meetings – learning environments conducive to adult learning and professional development, improving participants’ skills at their trade and/or their familiarity with the company’s products or services. Professional conferences that provide networking, education and best practice sharing across companies and industries. User conferences for customers utilizing the company’s products or services to obtain feedback, build networks, provide product training and capture ideas for enhancements to the company’s product offerings. Trade shows and similar events that bring prospective buyers and sellers together. Strategic, business and financial planning and review meetings.
The “New Normal Leadership” Focusing on Feedforward, Not Just Feedback By David Gabri, President and CEO, Associated Luxury Hotels International After all, as Goldsmith succinctly puts it, “Real leaders are not people who can point out what is wrong. Almost anyone can do that. Real leaders are people who can make things better.” And what better way to make things better than to listen to suggestions for the future?
So how can you implement a feedforward program? According to Goldsmith: ß ß ß ß ß
Pick one behavior that you would like to change. Describe this behavior to others (such as other participants in the program). Ask for feedforward – two suggestions for the future that might help you achieve a positive change in the selected behavior. Listen attentively to the suggestions without judging, and take notes. Ask the other participants if they would like feedforward suggestions for a behavior they wish to change.
Why do this? Because feedforward helps people envision and focus on a positive future and positive results, rather than on a failed past. This can be vital to your organization achieving greater future success. “Providing feedback has long been considered to be an essential skill for leaders,” according to renowned executive leadership coach and author Marshall Goldsmith, Ph.D. “As they strive to achieve the goals of the organization, employees need to know how they are doing. (But) just as employees need feedback from leaders, leaders can benefit from feedback from their employees.” Goldsmith, who addressed ALHI’s Industry Advisory Council meeting, suggests this “upward feedback” -- where employees provide helpful suggestions for improvements as well as input to managers on their leadership effectiveness – has become more common over the last few years with the increasing popularity of 360-degree assessments. The most basic question is for leaders to simply ask, “What can I do better?” While by most accounts this practice is beneficial to the organization, Goldsmith suggests that organizations take it one step further. Rather than just garnering “feedback,” which is based on the past, he suggests focusing on “feedforward” to address the wealth of opportunities that can happen in the future. Goldsmith advises that leaders implement feedforward programs where individuals are encouraged to provide suggestions for the future and to “help as much as they can.” Furthermore he advises that the leaders listen to the suggestions from others for the future and to “learn as much as they can.” It may sound obvious, but getting leaders to accept suggestions from those that report to them isn’t always easy. In the past, successful leaders often felt that if they were successful, and things were going well, there was no need to change. The exciting news is that the “new normal leadership” is that more and more leaders around the world now willingly accept this type of input.
6
Goldsmith also points out that it can be more productive to help people be “right” than prove they were “wrong.” Unlike feedback, which is often seen as negative, feedforward focuses on solutions, not problems, and isn’t perceived as a personal critique since it is discussing something that hasn’t yet happened. It is more focused on being “helpful” than on being an expert with “superior judgment.” So it can be easier to hear the suggestions. While Goldsmith emphasizes that leaders and companies do not need to stop providing feedback to employees, he does suggest that utilizing feedforward techniques can be an effective way to garner beneficial, dynamic solutions for the future. Not only can this insight help you to be a more effective leader at work, you can also apply the principles to all aspects of your life. The result could be a renewed focus on the future rather than dwelling on mistakes or shortcomings of the past. Marshall Goldsmith is University Professor and the namesake of The Marshall Goldsmith School of Management at Alliant International University. He has been recognized by the American Management Association and Business Week as one of the most effective leaders in the history of leadership development, and was a speaker this year’s PCMA conference. For information, visit www. MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com . David Gabri is president and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI), which has the national sales responsibilities to the meetings and incentive industries for its membership of over 125 premier Four- and FiveDiamond/ Star quality hotels and resorts worldwide. For information, contact your nearest ALHI National Sales Office, call the “ALHI Luxury Group Desk” toll-free at 866-303-2544, or visit www.alhi.com.
AROUND THE REGION DES MOINES, IA AND OMAHA, NE
The Des Moines metro economy was the 14th-strongest in the nation in the first quarter of 2009, based on factors like employment, wages, home prices and foreclosures, a new report from the Brookings Institution shows. Cities rich with energy and recession-resistant industries like education, health care and government have avoided dramatic job losses, said Brookings, a nonprofit Washington, D.C., think tank. The strongest-performing economies were San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Austin, Houston and Dallas, according to the MetroMonitor, the first of the group’s quarterly reports. Insurance centers like Des Moines, Omaha and Hartford, Conn., have “suffered less” than job-hemorrhaging banking centers like New York and Charlotte. The insurance hubs “have experienced very modest job losses and have performed relatively well on most other economic indicators,” the report said. The Omaha area ranked 10th on the report of strong metro economies. No other Iowa metro area was on the list. The report, released today, said none of the 100 largest U.S. cities studied has escaped the national downturn.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
The roar of thousands of Harley Davidsons will be heard in Oklahoma City later this month as Bricktown prepares to host it largest street party every. The national Harley Owners Group Rally will take over Bricktown on June 26 and 27, shuttling down streets to accommodate the thousands of motorcycles coming to town. Currently, more than 4,000 H.O.G. members have registered for the event, said Laura Kriegel, director of marketing and communications for the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau. Including non-members, more than 10,000 attendees are expected, said Chris Clifton, promotions and marketing director for Brewer Entertainment, the exclusive vendor for the event.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
The developer who restored the Hilton President Hotel is proposing a $350 million downtown convention hotel complex that would incorporate the historic Power & Light Building at 14th Street and Baltimore Avenue. Ron Jury, who completed the $46 million President Hotel project across Baltimore from the Power & Light Building in 2005, said Friday that he is involved in a new development partnership that contracted early this year to buy the Power & Light Building and adjoining vacant ground. The partnership, Power Tower Inc., also includes Presidian Destinations of San Antonio, Jury said. It hopes to close “yet this year” on the site, which includes everything but the Crowne Plaza hotel in the block bounded by 13th and 14th streets, Baltimore Avenue and Wyandotte Street, he said. According to Jury’s plan, Power Tower would own the Power & Light Building, a 31-story art-deco landmark completed in 1931. The city, which is studying options for adding a 1,000-room downtown convention hotel, would own a new 36-story tower to be built just west of the Power & Light Building, a five- or six-story building north of the Power & Light Building that would contain retail space, ballrooms and meeting rooms, and an 1,121-space parking garage under the new structures. The twin 30-plus-story towers would include hotel rooms on all floors above and including their ninth floors, for a total of 1,017. The lower floors of the towers would include a spa, fitness center, administrative offices, reception area, auditorium, retail, restaurants and meeting space.
LITTLE ROCK, AK
“World of the Pharaohs”, will be the biggest exhibition ever in Arkansas and the first exhibition of Egyptian art to come to Arkansas will be available for viewing at the Arkansas Arts Center September 25, 2009 – July 5, 2010. World of the Pharaohs: The Treasures of Egypt Revealed explores the long-vanished world of ancient Egypt. The exhibition features more than 200 magnificent objects, spanning 3,000 years of dynastic history, including a majestic colossus of Ramesses II, beautiful amulets, exquisite jewelry, splendid furnishings, elegant stone vessels, graceful statues, intricate art and funerary artifacts. The objects were selected for the exhibition to dramatically exemplify the rich and diverse characteristics of one of the world’s great civilizations. The exhibition is particularly strong in excavated material from the Pyramid Age, also called the Old Kingdom (2675-2130 B.C.), widely regarded as Egypt’s finest hour. Artifacts include a royal decree carved in limestone (Decree of Neferirkare), the false door of Inty, a Priestess of Inty and a relief scene from the tomb of Qar and Idu. World of the Pharaohs: The Treasures of Egypt Revealed is presented by the Arkansas Arts Center and organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The Egyptian collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Today, it is best known for the works excavated from 1905-1947 by the Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition directed by George Andrew Reisner (1867-1942). Reisner is recognized as a pioneering force in the application of scientific methodology in archaeology. Under his supervision, these excavations provided the MFA with the best collection, outside Egypt, of art from the Old Kingdom. See www.arkarts.com for more information.
the heartland beat Heartland Chapter Professional Convention Management Association PO Box 23083 Shawnee Mission, KS 66283-0083
UPCOMING EVENTS July 23, 2009 Designing Exceptional Events in Turbulent Times Joint Meeting with KCMPI Sheraton Overland Park, Overland Park, KS August 3, 2009 Heartland Annual Bowling Event! Mission Bowl, Roeland Park, KS August 20, 2009 Working from Home Brown Bag Locations: Little Rock, Des Moines, St. Louis, Overland Park, Omaha, Tulsa
September 19, 2009 Connect the Dots to the Industry’s Fun Joint Meeting with Missouri State Chapter of SGMP & Missouri University Hospitality Marriott Courtyard, Columbia, MO October 15, 2009 The Working Relationship of the Supplier & Planner St. Louis Union Station Marriott, St. Louis