Meeting News - April 20, 2009 - (Page 14)

Hotels & Resorts Biltmore-Bound Groups, Don Your Aprons The South Florida hotel opens up a culinary school for guests, including groups Creating an interactive guest experience, the Biltmore Hotel has opened a cooking school. The Biltmore Culinary Academy offers hands-on classes for beginners through advanced cooks. All classes—taught by Biltmore chefs in a new state-of-the art kitchen— focus on cooking techniques and seasonal ingredients. Among the menu of classes are two for groups. There’s a threehour team-building program in which up to 20 meeting or incentive attendees create several hors d’oeuvres; at a cost of $65 per person, the class includes an open bar. Another class, where six to 10 people create a meal, has welcome hors d’oeuvres and beverages, for $110 per person. Visitors can choose from various classes, like ethnic, skill-building, and ingredient-based classes. An elite three-day Master Chef Series exposes students to cuisine-specific techniques in Italian and French preparations and concludes with a course on chocolate, taught by a pastry chef. The Culinary Academy is overseen by The legendary Biltmore Hotel, just outside of director LourMiami, is cooking up new amenities for guests. des Castro. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nutriShe is writing two books, a Mextion and food from New York Uni- ican cookbook and a Spanish-Engversity and a master’s degree in lish culinary dictionary, due out nutrition from Columbia Univerthis spring and fall, respectively. sity. A former associate of the For more information, contact James Beard Foundation, Castro is the Culinary Academy at culinaryactive in the foundation and is a academy@biltmorehotel.com or at member of Les Dames d’Escoffier. (305) 445-1926. that lower catering costs by as much as 25 percent. Lastly, the KSL Meeting Center staff is working with customers to design itineraries with low-cost or nocost activities, like biking. Smart Meetings’ fifth feature, templates for shortterm or “instant” meetings, was launched last year. Said KSL vice president of sales Michael Erickson: “As hotel and resort meetings are being criticized, it’s more important than ever for to us to highlight the strategic value of an off-site meeting.” KSL’s portfolio includes the Hotel del Coronado, in San Diego; the Beach Village at the Del, San Diego; La Costa Resort and Spa, Carlsbad, CA; Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, Rancho Mirage, CA; Vail Mountain Lodge & Spa, Vail, CO; Barton Creek Resort & Spa, Austin, TX; and the Homestead, Hot Springs, VA. By Rayna Katz rayna.katz@nielsen.com Mohegan Sun Has All-In-One Pricing Trying to simplify the planning process in today’s economy, Uncasville, CT, gaming resort Mohegan Sun has created a complete meeting package (CMP), also known as all-inclusive pricing. Priced at $269 per person per night (and jumping to $319 this summer and $329 in the fall)— based on single occupancy—the package includes room, food and beverage, AV services, meeting facilities, and staff. Not sure the offering is cheaper than a la carte pricing? The 1,200room property, which has more than 100,000 sf of meeting space, has launched a website with cost comparisons. At www.mohegan sun.com/meeting-solution, meeting buyers can see how costs differ between Mohegan Sun and properties in New York and Boston, as well as gaming mecca Las Vegas. The package pricing and the new site offer planners several benefits, according to Chris Perry, vice president of sales and marketing. “When you wrap everything up into one package, there’s not much to think about,” he said. The CMP pricing is particularly beneficial for corporations, said Perry. “Many small corporate meetings are being planned by administrative assistants, and this gives them something that’s easier to present to decision-makers. “Plus, many corporations are staying close to home, and there are many headquartered in the Northeast,” he said. H KSL, on the Cheap Positioning itself as a brand of choice for cashstrapped—or heavily scrutinized—meeting planners, KSL Resorts has launched a savings program for groups. Among the components in the Smart Meetings offering is hotel staff trained on meetings-industry cost-related guidelines—created following government pressure for meetings-spend transparency by firms bailed out by the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Smart Meetings also enables some parties of a meeting to “attend” via complimentary teleconferencing instead of in person. For Smart Meetings, KSL is also creating menus for simplified food and beverage functions and breaks 14 MeetingNews April 20, 2009 www.meetingnews.com http://www.mohegansun.com/meeting-solution http://www.mohegansun.com/meeting-solution http://www.meetingnews.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meeting News - April 20, 2009

Meeting News - April 20, 2009
Contents
What’s Up in the MeetingNews Community
Inside the Industry
People Making News
Thirty Under 30
Hotels & Resorts
Chef Talk
Convention Centers
International
Destinations: Caribbean
Destinations: Kansas City, MO
Green Beat
Destinations: New Jersey
Destinations: Myrtle Beach, SC
Live from the Forum

Meeting News - April 20, 2009