Meeting News - February 2, 2009 - (Page 1)

Perspectives Hello World What a difference a presidential inauguration makes. Following what had to be the most poignant Martin Luther King, Jr. remembrance ever, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States. Focused on by a crowd two miles deep on the National Mall, and by tens of millions more watching on television and Internet feeds worldwide, the new leader stood tall and said, “To all the other peoples and governments who are watching today . . . know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity.” For those who plan or attend international meetings, these words came like dawn breaking through the clouds. For the 355 international planners who responded to our MeetingNews Exclusive Research survey, the business climate change will undoubtedly affect some but not all of the forecasts that they shared with us (page 16). And, as one of the 1.8 million people who participated in the inaugural festivities, correspondent Brad Crawford attended the Lincoln Ball on MN’s behalf, and he got a firsthand look at DC’s monster citywide (cover story). Hopefully, the energy witnessed at the inauguration will kick-start our moribund economy, which keeps sending mixed signals to planners, especially those in the insurance sector (page 18) and the incentive niche (page 14). We also specuTerri Hardin, lated on the future of the limousine transportaEditor-In-Chief tion sector (page 12) even as bulletproof stretch limos tooled down Pennsylvania Avenue in triumph. Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, MN reporter Michael Goldstein “endured unimaginable luxury” at Steve Wynn’s Encore resort—which debuted this month—as part of his cover story on the Consumer Electronics Show. (It was a tough job, but somebody had to do it.) His coverage leads off our Insider Report on gaming destinations across the country. We conclude our features with stories about Island Incentives (page 34), where again our international planners weighed in on which island paradise they most looked forward to utilizing. Looking forward . . . that’s the ticket. H Editorial F e b r u a r y 2 , 2 0 0 9 Vo l u m e 3 3 , N u m b e r 2 Corporate/Sales Nella Veldran, Vice President Travel Group Phone: (646) 654-7325 Editor-In-Chief, Terri Hardin (646) 654-7364; terri.hardin@nielsen.com Executive Editor, Rayna Katz (646) 654-4421; rayna.katz@nielsen.com Managing Editor, William Ng (646) 654-4451; william.ng@nielsen.com Research Director, Nancy Lazarus (646) 654-7272; nancy.lazarus@nielsen.com Editorial Fax: (646) 654-4428 Editorial Address: 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003-9595 Southeast/Mid-Atlantic/Ohio Larry Mischik, Ad Director/Account Manager 3054 Four Oaks Drive, Atlanta, GA 30360 Phone: (770) 604-9641 NY/NJ/New England/Bermuda/Caribbean Diane DiMaggio, International Advertising Director 770 Broadway, NY, NY 10003; Phone: (646) 654-7332 Contributing Editors Brad Crawford, Michael Goldstein, Robert Carey Matt Alderton, Robert Curley, Gretchen Kelly Phillip Hennessey, Joy Anderson, Ron Donoho Florida/Cruise Arthur Hyman, Associate Publisher/Account Manager 1267 Via Fiume, Boynton Beach, FL 33436 Phone: (561) 736-5374 Art Art Director, Richard Prestia (646) 654-4424; richard.prestia@nielsen.com Midwest/Texas/Louisiana Patrice Carman, Account Manager 200 West Jackson Blvd., 27th floor, Chicago, IL 60606 Phone: (312) 583-5522 Marketing Sr. Marketing Manager, Jennifer Pepper Stam (646) 654-7263; jennifer.pepperstam@nielsen.com CA/HI/Colorado/Arizona/Nevada/NM Sharon Freeark, Account Manager 2950 31st Street, Suite 100, Santa Monica, CA 904053037; Phone: (626) 578-0700; Fax: (626) 578-0720 Production Production Manager, Adam Schaffer (646) 654-7295; Fax (646) 654-7318 adam.schaffer@nielsen.com Subscription Information: (847) 763-9050 Subscription Fax: (847) 763-9037 Single Copy Sales: (847) 763-9050 Digital Sales Jared Smith, National Account Manager 770 Broadway, NY, NY 10003; Phone: (646) 654-5520 International Custom Media Editorial Director, Marilyn Moore (305) 884-0295 Executive Editor, Alison Golub Executive Editor (Performance), Karen Gines Associate Editor, Sarah Veit Creative Director, Denniston Brown Art Director, Michelle Tropiano Associate Art Director, Jonathan Chan Associate Art Director, Tessa Sestina CANADA: Publicitas APR; Rosalind Genge Executive Director; Publicitas APR 1281 West Georgia Street, 502, Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 3J7 Phone: +1 604-688-5914; Fax: +1 604-689-0703 MEXICO & LATIN AMERICA: Veronica Castro; CASS Media; Phone: 52-55/5605-1757 EUROPE/AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST: Diane DiMaggio, International Advertising Director, Successful Meetings/MeetingNews; Phone: 646-654-7332; Fax: 646-328-0218; Cell 914-299-4394; Spain Luis Andrade, Luis Andrade Publicidad Internacional; Phone: 34-91-441-6266; Fax: 34-91-441-6549; Portugal Paulo Andrade, Ilimitada Media International; Phone: 351-21-385-3598/45; Fax: 351-21-388-3283 ASIA/PACIFIC: Singapore Lavendar Tan, Al Media, 733 Bukit timah Road #03-05, Singapore 269748; Phone: (65) 469-9321; Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines Annie Blanchard & Associates, Phone: (632) 532-6827; Fax: (632) 584-2110; Korea Mr. Jung-Won Suh, President, Sinsegi Media Inc., Phone: +82 2 3275 5969; Japan Etsuko Ichinohe, Pacific Business, Inc.; Phone 81-3-3661-6138; Fax: 81-3-3661-6139; Macau, Hong Kong, China Stephen Hutton, Hutton Media Limited, International Media Representatives, Suite 2102 Fook Lee Commercial Centre, 33 Lockhart Road, Wanchai Hong Kong; Phone: 852 2528 9135; Fax: 852 2528 9281 Information Marketing Associate Director, Audience Marketing, Tracey Dwyer (646) 654-5879; tracey.dwyer@nielsen.com Reprints The YGS Group Barb Karmilowicz (800) 290-5460 x106 MN@theYGSgroup.com List Rentals For postal mailings: Julius Single, (845) 731-2731 For emailings: Nicole Guarascio, (845) 731-3828 Group President Sabrina Crow Business Manager Leslie Musick President, Greg Farrar Senior Vice President, Human Resources: Michael Alicea Senior Vice President, Marketing: Mark Hosbein Senior Vice President, Finance: Derek Irwin terri.hardin@nielsen.com Senior Vice President, Entertainment: Gerry Byrne Senior Vice President, Marketing, Media & Visual Arts: Sabrina Crow Senior Vice President, Retail: David Loechner Senior Vice President, Online: Linda McCutcheon Senior Vice President, Building & Design: Joe Randall Senior Vice President, Central Services: Mary Kay Sustek Vice President, Licensing: Howard Appelbaum Vice President, Manufacturing & Distribution: Jennifer Grego Vice President, Audience Marketing: Joanne Wheatley DEPARTMENTS IN THIS ISSUE ® ® ® ® ® ® ® What’s Up @ MeetingNews.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Inside the Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 People Making News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Green Beat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Ad Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Live from the Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 www.meetingnews.com February 2, 2009 MeetingNews 1 http://www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meeting News - February 2, 2009

Meeting News - February 2, 2009
Contents
What’s Up @ MeetingNews.com
Inside the Industry
People Making News
Transportation
Green Beat
Ad Index
Live from the Forum

Meeting News - February 2, 2009