The 2014-2015 winter season impacted thousands of people nation-wide. While those in the Northeast were hit with snowstorm after snowstorm (or blizzard after blizzard if you lived in Boston) and below average temperatures, folks in the South (i.e. Atlanta) found themselves in a state of emergency. If The Old Farmer's Almanac 2015-2016 prediction mirrors last year's forecasts, hoteliers must be ready for anything that winter throws at them. Whether it's winterizing your hotel's irrigation systems, fertilizing your landscape for spring, creating a snow and ice management plan, or getting your hotel ready for the holidays, there's much work to be done before the end of the year. READ MORE

The definition of excellence is ”consistently meeting right standards.” The definition contains the inseparable union of quality and ethics. Aristotle suggests that there are three legs on the stool of excellence. They are ETHOS, LOGOS and PATHOS. Ethos refers to standards and logos refers we “right” standards. Pathos refers to the passion which we must have to ensure consistency. In the previous issue we discussed ethics. In this issue we will discuss the ways in which standards are created. As we begin however one point is absolutely crucial to our discussion. READ MORE

Corporate culture and its impact on an organisation's success is a highly debated topic - especially in the hospitality industry. Throughout the past decade, travellers' needs have shifted from a desire for standardized accommodations to an environment that reflects an experiential model. A hotel stay is no longer just about a bed and breakfast - it's about living unique experiences. In this article, we explain how knowing your emotional “why” and creating a culture around it will help you deliver unique guest experiences - and will demonstrate how meetings and events can support or even help establish a company's culture. READ MORE

Many years ago, the most popular cities for international programs were London, Paris, and Rome. While these three cities are still among the most in demand, today's planners are submitting more requests to Beijing, Berlin, and Istanbul than ever thanks to their strong infrastructures and for offering great financial value given the strength of the dollar and additional factors including incredible cosmopolitan centers of culture, politics, and media. Each culture has a particular way they run events, and it is common for planners from North America to experience resistance when requests are made to “Americanize” an aspect or require something to be done in a way that is truly never seen by the host destination. READ MORE

Increasingly, team building activities are being incorporated into meetings and events of all sizes. Hotels are rising to the challenge to deliver quality onsite and offsite activities that leverage hotel and local expertise, and provide meeting attendees something unique and challenging that helps them bond and build trust with one another. As trends in the meetings industry evolve, so, too, do trends in the team-building arena. Smart meeting planners work as early as possible with their hotel partners to ensure that their goals, objectives and budget for the perfect team-building activities are met. READ MORE