Throughout time, food and beverages have been the most important pairing on earth. Our existence depended on them. Water has been and still is the most important liquid-vital to survival. Through evolution and experimentation, human beings have found ways to produce additional liquids by pressing fruits, cacti and various other plants. Adding a further element of sophistication, we have also learned to mix these liquids and infuse them with cereals, flowers, spices and herbs to obtain the wide variety of interesting beverages we now have available. Pairing food with wine is very pleasant, but sometimes we want to try something different and we discover that other beverages can offer great moments too. The more we learn about them, the more we try and the more we discover new sensations to share. READ MORE

As business becomes increasingly competitive and aggressive, and consumers become more sophisticated and informed, finding ways to extend your brand with unique and creative solutions becomes increasingly necessary. Partnership marketing, a valuable and often underutilized tool, offers a powerful solution, providing a means to gain significant exposure to potential new guests and new markets, as well as increase the benefit of what you provide your current guests. What is partnership marketing? Traditionally known as "cooperative advertising," partnership marketing is a grass-roots approach to making marketing dollars last, and extending your brand to people and market segments you didn't have direct access to before. Partnership marketing is aligning yourself with other like-minded organizations and businesses to reciprocally expose your brand to one another's customers and provide added value to your own existing customers. READ MORE

Like all industries, the hospitality industry has its share of crisis...and as anyone who has worked the hospitality front lines know, a crisis seldom happens from 9 to 5 when everyone from general manager to controller to sales manager are on-site. Indeed, most "situations", whether great or small, happen in the wee hours when the newest front desk clerk seems to be in charge. That's why it is so important to develop a sound crisis communication plan and keep it a vital part of operations and any new hire programs. Just as associates learn reservations systems, sign up for health care or learn about their 401k, this plan should be on the high on the agenda. While no crisis is ever the same, being prepared, in a general sense, will have a positive impact on any post-crisis quarterbacking. READ MORE

The process of selecting a public relations agency is the business equivalent of embarking upon courtship and marriage. You look for the spark of romance from the very beginning, yet you desire reassurance that the relationship can be sustained over time. Finding the right balance of attraction, substance and compatibility is key. If you approach it with eyes wide open, there's a better chance of the relationship working over the long haul. Although it's best to approach your agency search in a positive frame of mind, it may be useful to briefly consider common pitfalls so you can avoid mistakes others have made in the process. READ MORE

The Baby Boomer's new "theme park" are now the casino and the spa. In the 1990's, the baby boomer generation - those born between the years 1946 and 1962 -- spent a great deal of their time and money visiting theme parks with their families. Now that their kids have grown, these same thrill-seekers have shifted their focus toward entertaining themselves. One venue that has been a major beneficiary of this trend is the spa. According to the International Spa Association, based in Lexington, Kentucky, some 57 million American adults have been to a spa. There are an estimated 12,000 spas in the United States, and that's up from 5,700 just a few years earlier. Today, spas occupy an estimated 86.7 million square feet of indoor space in the U.S. Spas are this country's fourth largest leisure industry. Collectively, they generate more than $11 billion in revenue each year. READ MORE