Meeting Mondays: Medical Meeting Magazine

Our very own CEO and founder, Michelle Bartolone, was featured in the newest issue of Medical Meetings. She recently spoke at the Pharma Forum 2012, held in March in Orlando, on a panel discussion about the effects of compliance and regulations on meetings in the pharma industry. Michelle and several other experts were able to shed some light on various topics including regulations, food & beverage caps, as well as challenges having meetings overseas. 

Click on the link here to see what she and other experts had to say.

Fashion Fridays: Airport Wear

If you’re a seasoned traveler, or even if you’re not a seasoned traveler, you probably know that traveling has gotten more and more difficult in recent years. Going through security has become more of a hassle and you’re always battling the ever present challenge of your travel apparel with the cool temps in the airplane with wanting to look chic instead of chunky. We are introducing “Fashion Fridays”, which is our new Friday series on how to look and be a fashionable traveler, while not giving up on an inch of comfort (okay, maybe just an inch or two).

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is a perfect example of chic airport style while not giving up anything in the comfort department. She dons a comfortable but stylish bomber jacket to help her keep warm while traveling. She pairs this with a plain gray t-shirt to help balance out the bright print on her jacket. She is wearing one of her favorite pairs of booties from Rag & Bone, which are easy to slip on and off while going through security. She ties everything together with her carefully chosen accessories which include a green Celine bag which is big enough to carry various things including a scarf should she get cold, an iPad, her wallet, and maybe some small snacks. She adds a watch and some oversized sunglasses to finish off her outfit.

By keeping her accessories and her outfit fairly simple, Rosie is able to add little pops of color that add style to her ensemble while traveling comfortably and making sure that she is not troubled by going through security or chilly flight temps.

Tech Thursdays: 5 Recommended Travel Apps

The travelers of today do not leave a single detail outside of their travel arrangements.  Before visiting their destination, they investigate everything such as: best places to visit, weather forecasts, lodging, food, exchange rates if you are traveling internationally, and more.  It is as if they are their own travel agency. It is always better to plan ahead to prevent mishaps than to arrive somewhere and not be prepared or have something happen that leaves you high and dry.

In these times where we don’t go anywhere without our phones, it’s no news that when we travel we would want to have apps downloaded that would facilitate traveling.  Among those apps the following 5 have been the top apps recommended for 2012:

XE

Cost: Free

Description: Used for: Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, iPod Touch.  This application is very simple to use and serves as a conversions calculator for currencies all over the world.

URBAN SPOON

Cost: Free

Description: This app will locate your destination and provide you with the best restaurants of the area.

EVERY TRAIL
Cost: Free

Description: This GPS will easily find your location and give you walking information such as names of streets, compass and audio guides. It also provides the opportunity of sharing the best places in your destination with others.

Tip Calculator

Cost: $0.99

Description: Tip Calculator not only calculates a tip but has an exclusive and original Bill Split feature. Pay the right amount every single time and have fun doing it. Impress your friends with the best iPhone tip calculator around. 

NEXT FLIGHT

Cost: $2.99

Description: This application has up to date schedules of more than 1100 airlines and 4200 airports and allows you to filter by company, location, time, date etc.  

Next time you travel don’t forget that all the information needed is at your fingertips with your mobile device.  

GSA Plans to Change Per Diem Standards

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) sets per diem rates for federal government travelers and is now planning to revise the standards used to set these rates for sleeping rooms and F&B.  The American Housing & Lodging Association (AH&LA) is urging a protest and encouraging industry professionals to send letters to their local legislators.  

Currently, the GSA compiles room rate data from hotels considered to be in the "mid-price range" to determine rates for every zip code in the contiguous United States (D.C. and all states excluding Hawaii and Alaska).  "Mid-price range" hotels include independent, mid-scale, upscale, and upper upscale properties; economy and luxury hotels are omitted from the data collected as being too low- and too-high rated, respectively.  The GSA then determines the Average Daily Rate (ADR) for all locations and reduces the ADR by 5% to establish the per diem as a discounted rate.

Under the new system, the GSA would base the ADR on lower "mid-price range" hotels.  The AH&LA argues that per diem rates are already well below actual room rates and this change in methodology will intentionally and significantly reduce per diem rates across the country.  The Association believes many hotels and it's employees will be put at risk- hotels already operate at thin profit margins and a reduction in per diem rates could cause job cuts.

For more information, click here.

Cruise Along With Hornblower Cruises

Why have meetings on land when you could have it while cruising along a beautiful coast anywhere from California to New York? 
Hornblower Cruises are mostly located on the West Coast ranging from Sacramento to Long Beach. However, for their East Coast location, you can cruise along the beautiful Hudson Bay if you so desire. They do a full range of events from Sunday brunch cruises to birthday dinners. What’s better is that they are able to host corporate meetings which you can customize as little or as much as you want. They have a bevy of services that they offer from decoration to helping you coordinate what kind of menu you wish to serve.

Hornblower Cruises was started in 1980 by Terry MacCrae and a partner. However when they first started, it was called Hornblower Coach Tours. At first, doing mostly private charter groups, they started to expand and has over time become the Hornblower Cruises and Events that we know today. During this time, they were presented with various awards including “Finest Service Award” from the San Diego Convention and Visitor’s Bureau as well as Entertainment Guide’s “Most Fun” Member’s Choice Award. In 2005, they started Respect Our Planet, which is a company-wide environmental education and awareness program that tries to teach the visitors in the ports they serve about trying to reduce the impact we have on the environment.

Hornblower’s mission is to provide 100% satisfaction to 100% of their guests. Therefore, next time you are looking for a location for one of your meetings, we suggest that you be a little unconventional and have your meeting with Hornblower Cruises and Events. Visit their website today at: www.hornblower.com/hce/home