Successful Meetings - July 2009 - (Page G32)

Guest Column boondoggle wasn’t part of my vocabulary when I was 10 By Michael Wilkins hen I was 10, I would sit on the ground by the fairway of Kalakawa Golf Course on Oahu in Hawaii, captivated by the golfers and the game. That inspired me to enlist my friend Richard’s help to build a neighborhood three-hole course that crossed the road twice. (Hitting a car was always a free drop, according to our local rules.) My favorite club, a rusty old Macgregor 9 iron, was my one and only club. I regularly shot under par with a mulligan or two for good measure and rarely lost any of the three golf balls I owned. Golf was more fun, and a kinder, gentler game in those days. My friends and I played purely for the joy and challenge of the game. We were blissfully free of wanting, or even knowing about, the latest club technology, golf balls with low spin rates, collarless shirts, or exotic course locations. I believe it was th The 17 hole that simple, wonderful introducat Turtle Bay tion to golf that led me back to Resort on the where I am today: Turtle Bay North Shore Resort on the North Shore of Oahu of Oahu. in Hawaii. Turtle Bay Resort is a great place for golf — warm, great views, not too pricy and always green. (Greens in Hawaii are always green. What a novel concept!) Like many of America’s great golf destinations — Palm Springs, Scottsdale, Las Vegas, and Orlando — Turtle Bay Resort has been branded a luxury location, a “boondoggle” destination, a meeting place no longer worthy of consideration because of its supposed high price and perceived upscale status. Boondoggle wasn’t part of my limited vocabulary when I was a W kid, but as someone who’s loved the game since boyhood, it concerns me how this phrase is impacting business at these great destinations. It troubles me that the very nature of golf, its integrity, and honor, has taken an unfair hit from corporate America. Ironically, many of corporate America’s leaders could learn important lessons about honesty and fairness from this great game. The essence of golf is simple. And valuable. A day on the course brings many rewards — and yes, joy — to players of all levels. It’s these aspects of the game I want to keep vital at Turtle Bay Resort, whether our guests are a single-digit handicap foursome, a family visiting from the mainland, or a group of executives taking a break from a productive meeting in our Pacific Rim Conference Center. I know others share my concerns for resort destinations. Leaders in the meetings, hospitality, and travel industries are reaching out to high-profile corporations. Trade associations are working together to launch a grassroots campaign called “Keep America Meeting” to promote meetings as an important business segment and a critical component of the U.S. economy. But it’s not enough. As resort and meetings salespeople, we need to go back to our networking relationships, do what’s worked well in the past, and come up with new strategies for the future. We can encourage our clients to book at destinations that provide a great environment for business, whether it’s in the boardroom or on the fairway. Let’s all do our part to integrate the values of golf into the current business environment. I believe it’s needed today, more than ever before. Michael Wilkins has more than 30 years of business experience in the travel, hospitality and golf industries. He is director of sales and marketing for the Turtle Bay Resort, a 470-room, year-round, destination beach and golf resort located on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, managed by Benchmark Hospitality International, a Houston-based company. July 2009 32

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Successful Meetings - July 2009

Successful Meetings - July 2009
Contents
Editor's Letter
News Update
Education
Mouth for Sale
Incentive Insights
Meetings Law
Management Matters
Gurus
Path to Success
Cover Story: ROI Guide
Medical & Pharmaceutical Meetings
Safety & Security
Industry Roundtable
Places + Spaces
Alabama
Georgia & the Carolinas
Hong Kong
Melbourne
Golf Meetings
Planning a golf meeting, 101
Formats, games, prizes, and the awards ceremony
The how, what, why, and win of hole-in-one insurance
How the PGA professional can help your meeting plans
A woman’s view of golf
Opinion: The (new) perception of golf resorts
In closing: Boondoggle is not part of the golf vocabulary
Hawaii
Business Unusual
Q&A with Michael Murray
The Latest and Greatest

Successful Meetings - July 2009