Conference Buzz: Upcoming in San Diego

December 30, 2009 by pegdaly

Contemplating a conference in San Diego? Winter is actually the sunniest time of the year in San Diego as there is little marine layer or fog. It’s generally in the mid 60’s to low 70’s during the day and 40’s and 50’s at night . So if you want to book a winter getaway, here are some conferences coming up in balmy palmy San Diego.

HEALTHCARE

• American Physical Therapy Assn. Combined Sections Meeting – CSM 2009, Feb. 17-20

Int’l Conference & Exhibition on Health Facility Planning Design & Construction, Mar. 14-16

Medicare Advantage Congress, Feb.9-11

SPIE Medical Imaging 2010, Feb.13-18

LAW

Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences – ACJS Annual Meeting, Feb. 23-27

SCIENCE  & TECHNOLOGY

Advanced Solid-State Photonics, Jan.31-Feb.3

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)Annual Meeting, Feb.18-22

Biomanufacturing Summit – North America, Jan.26-27

IEEE Infocom 2010, Mar.15-19

Plant and Animal Genome XVIII Conference, Jan.9-13

TRAINING & EDUCATION

PowerPoint by Design Certificate Program, Jan.29-31

* Training 2010, Feb.1-3

Training 2010 Conference & Exposition, Feb.1-3

Make it a Conference Vacation in San Diego

December 29, 2009 by pegdaly

Come for the convention. Stay for the vacation. That’s what they say at the San Diego Convention Center .  Of course, if you are an event planner, you know attendees will often choose to combine a conference, convention, or trade show with a vacation, and San Diego, with its 70 miles of beaches and 70 degree average temperature, is a most desirable vacation destination. And what’s better, there is also an impressive venue menu to choose from in this Southern California paradise. Let’s take a look, beginning with the San Diego Convention Center.

This convention center is impressive. Its beautiful Sails Pavillion has glass walls overlooking the bay and the city, and it’s located in the heart of downtown. It was recently recognized as the very best in North America for conventions and meetings, and it’s also huge. It has 615,701 square feet of exhibit space, 72 meeting rooms, and is divisible into 7 separate halls with soundproof airwalls. Hotel packages are within walking distance.

Another impressive conference venue in San Diego, is the Town and Country Resort & Convention Center . It has 162,243 square feet of exhibit space and 56 meeting rooms. Additionally, it has a spa on the property and adjacent golf and shopping. This is just the kind of resort venue where an attendee might choose to stay on for some vacation following the meetings.

Another lovely venue for a smaller meeting is the Marina Village Conference Center which is beautifully located by a marina, as its name suggests. If you are planning a smaller conference, seminar,or workshop, this could be ideal.

There are many more great venues to choose from in San Diego. If you want to explore them further you should visit this site for an ample list of hotels and other unique venues.

Pleasure on a Business Trip: Visit Stanley, Vancouver’s World Class Park

December 23, 2009 by lmb1962

Who says business travel has to be all work and no fun? If you are heading to Vancouver for a conference, trade show, or other event, make sure you carve out some time to explore.

Vancouver consistently scores as one of the top places to live in the world, and Stanley Park is one of the reasons why.  The park is on a thumb of land that sticks out  off Vancouver’s West End into Burrard Inlet.

The park, named by the Project for Public Spaces as the 16th best park in the world and a Canadian National Historic Site, is jam-packed with all the fields, gardens, events and attractions you’d expect at a world-class park:  tennis, golf, baseball, cricket, vast lawns,  rose gardens, concerts, outdoor theater and a minature railway.

It’s bigger than New York’s famed Central Park by about 1000 acres, and like that park is easily accesible from multiple points in the city.  There are three vehicle entrances (drivers beware–there is no free parking) and multiple pedestrian pathways leading in.  But Stanley Park has several features that place it squarely in the Pacific Northwest.

The first is that most of the park is forested–it is in fact a temperate rain forest populated by second and third growth Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, Western Hemlock and Sitka Spruce.  Over 100 miles of trails criss-cross the park.  Where else can you grab a latte at a chic little downtown cafe and walk straight into a rainforest?

vancouver stanley park

Birds take flight at Lost Lagoon

A spectacular five-mile seawall rings the rain forest with dual tracks for bikers and skaters, and walkers.  The loop passes by three ocean  beaches as well as Lost Lagoon, a haven for wildlife and waterfowl.  Sweeping vistas of the city can be seen from various points on the path.

The more manicured parts of the park feature acres of tulip plantings and over 4500 rhododendrons.  A large part of the collection, including many rare hybrids, was donated by renowned local rhododendron breeders when they retired and closed their nursery.  Blooms peak in the first two weeks of May, but park horticulturalists have carefully charted the bloom cycles of each and every plant and offer maps to the best blooms every month of the spring and summer.

vancouver rhododendrons

Rhododendrons in bloom

Two features beckon art lovers:  The Painter’s Circle, an outdoor gallery where artists from all over the world meet and greet the public and show their work, and a totem pole gallery showcasing the work of the Northwest’s indigenous peoples.

One thing you won’t find is a zoo.  In the 1990s Vancouver voters opted to close it rather than renovate. One could easily spend weeks exploring Stanley Park, but if you haven’t got that kind of time, take the hop-on-hop-off trolley or a horse drawn carriage for a quick overview, and put it on your do list to come back for more.

Conference Buzz: Upcoming in Chicago

December 22, 2009 by pegdaly

Looking for a conference, convention or trade show in Chicago? Why not? Winter can be magical in the Windy City, especially around the holidays. Or maybe you’d prefer to visit Michigan Avenue in the spring when Chicago’s Magnificent Mile is lined with tulips of every color. You decide. Here are some great events coming up in Chicago this winter and spring. You’ll find more at Conference Hound.

WEB & TECHNOLOGY

Search Engine Strategies 2009, Dec.7-9

ABA TECHSHOW 2010, Mar. 25-27

HEALTHCARE & MEDICINE

• Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting, Feb. 25-27

Emergency Nurses Association – ENA Leadership Conference, Feb. 24-28

NAPNAP – National Assn of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Apr. 15-18

PCNA – Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association 16th Annual Symposium, Apr. 15-17

Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Meeting, Apr. 29-May 1

HOME & DESIGN

The Chicago Market – Living and Giving – January, Jan. 21-27

Chicago Collective, Jan.31 – Feb.2

International Home & Housewares Show, Mar. 14-16

K/BIS – Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference, Apr. 15-18

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

MEEA – Midwest Energy Solutions Conference, Jan. 13-15

Planning an Event in Chicago? Venues Abound in the Toddlin’ Town

December 21, 2009 by pegdaly

There are so many venue options in Chicago, we thought you could use some help exploring them all. Let us tell you about several meeting places you might choose for your next conference, convention, or trade show in Chicago and then link you to some other helpful sites.

McCormick PlaceAre you organizing a very large convention or trade show? If so, we’re sure you’ll be looking at McCormick Place, because it’s too large to miss. Think 2,600,000 square feet of exhibit space, 173 meeting rooms, and 4 ballrooms. It also has assembly seating for up to 15,000 and a performance theater that accommodates 4,249. And now might be just the right time to swoop in for a good deal since Chicago just lost 2 big trade shows to rival cities. They should be looking to be more competitive than ever.

Navy Pier is another popular meeting destination with 170,100 square feet and 36 meeting rooms. It has a grand ballroom with lake views and mezzanine level meeting rooms that overlook an exhibit hall.

The Palmer House Hilton of Chicago has 105,000 square feet of meeting space and 40 breakout rooms and is rich in history. It claims to be the longest continuously running hotel in North America and the destination of choice for every US president since Ulysses S Grant.

Hyatt Regency Chicago’s Riverside Center has 70,000 square feet of exhibit space, 63 meeting rooms, 4 ballrooms, 2,019 guest rooms, and 7 restaurant/lounges. It is also conveniently located in the heart of downtown Chicago.

So there you have several venue options to get you started planning your next conference, convention, or trade show in Chicago. Want more? Check out this Chicago venues site , this unique Chicago venues site, hereschicago.com , and choosechicago.com for many more fabulous venues in Chi-Town.

And remember, you can always search Conference Hound to see who else will be in town.

In Toronto on Business? Don’t Miss the Historic Farmer’s Market

December 18, 2009 by lmb1962

Next time you find yourself in Toronto, perhaps attending a convention or trade show, be sure to make some time to check out the St. Lawrence Market and the surrounding neighborhood for a very special experience.

St. Lawrence Market, rated by Food and Wine magazine as one of the top 25 farmer’s markets in the world, is located within easy walking distance of many hotels and the downtown Toronto business core.  The market is in an 1850 Renaissance Revival building that formerly housed the city government and has been a vital part of historic Toronto for over 200 years.

The market originally backed up to the shipping docks along the Don River, an arrangement that today’s proponents of fresh, local, sustainable food would have envied.  Landfill has pushed the docks farther out, and today’s market is a cluster of historic buildings that house conventions, performances and cultural events as well as the markets.

The South St. Lawrence Market is open Tuesday through Saturday and boasts every type of cheese, meat, spice or sauce you can think of.  This is the place to get your souvenir maple syrup and Canadian bacon.  Be sure to stop in at the Carousel Bakery for a Canadian-style peameal bacon on a bun sandwich.

The fresh market takes place on Satudays and features seasonal produce from all over Ontario.  Sundays the foodies vacate to make way for the antique market, a treasure trove of valuable antiques, retro kitsch, books, jewelry and clothing.  Hipsters and honeymooners compete with top designers to score that special one-of-a-kind find.  For best selection, be there when the place opens at dawn.

The St. Lawrence neighborhood, with its boutiques and shops, Victorian buildings and authentic Victorian gas lamps, is a pleasant enough place to wander around, but you might also enjoy a guided tour from local legend Bruce Bell.  You’ll probably be able to sniff out the bacon on your own, but who else will be able to tell you the exact spot where Liz Taylor and Richard Burton smooched, or point out the square where singing “Yankee Doodle” was proclaimed a crime?  Now that’s historic.

8 Enticing Reasons to Plan Your Event in LA

December 3, 2009 by sfkate

Los Angeles. The City of Angles is a hub of entertainment and activity. Its an exciting, busy hub that is an ideal setting for conferences.

Why LA? It has everything a great conference location requires and more.

  1. Fabulous food
  2. Detailed visitor information
  3. Amazing experiences for visitors – there is just plenty to do in LA
  4. Great beaches
  5. Hollywood signCelebrity hang-outs
  6. Massive amounts of event space
  7. Plenty of accommodations
  8. Meeting planner support with hot deals and great tips

Is LA for you? Let our info help you get a feel for it. Check out the conference buzz, find out where to see stars and catch cougars, and see a video by the convention bureau. By the time you’re done, you’ll want to hold your event there. You may even know it well enough to say, “That’s so LA.”

Escape Your Meetings and Travel Back in Time at Orlando’s Gatorland

December 2, 2009 by lmb1962

Orlando has become synonymous with Disney, but before there was Disney there was Gatorland. The locals thought Owen Godwin was crazy when he started building Gatorland as a roadside attraction in 1949. Why would anyone pay to see alligators when they were running around on your back lawn?

orlando gatorland

Gatorland Entrance

Gatorland went on to become Florida’s first theme park, and is still owned by the Godwin family. You won’t find any thrill rides, but the park is squeaky clean and has maintained a charm that harkens back to an earlier, more innocent age.

Best of all, it’s affordable. Tickets for a family of four are less the price of an adult ticket at one of the larger area theme parks. To get there, take the Orange Blossom Trail toward Kissimee, an interesting ride, but not for reasons the name suggest.

Beyond the giant gape-jawed alligator head that serves as the entrance,  you’ll find  thousand of alligators and their crocodile cousins of all ages, sizes and species.

These big lizards are not the languid creatures you’ve seen in zoos. These gators are active.  They play and socialize with each other, and with their trainers in jumping and wrestling shows. And in most unzoolike fashion, you can actually feed the gators in the lake here, with turkey dogs available for purchase in the park.

One reason these gators are so happy is that they have their own breeding marsh, populated with complementary bird species.  For a special treat, take the birding tour offered in the early morning before the park opens and again in the evening after closing.

Be sure to stroll through the cypress swamp, a 15- minute walk through a completely unspoiled swath of the native ecosystem. No manicured bushes or masses of colorful flowers here.  This is what much of central Florida looked like before they started draining the wetlands to build farms, homesteads and theme parks.  Thank goodness the Godwin family had the good sense to preserve a bit of it.

Beyond Rollercoasters: 9 Compelling Reasons to Hold An Event in Orlando

December 1, 2009 by sfkate

Orlando. This Floridian city has so much to offer, where does one start? Yes it has the nation’s greatest theme parks, but there’s much more that lends it well to being a notable conference locale.

  1. Orlando Arts MagazineThriving arts scene (and I don’t mean theme parks)
  2. Best restrooms (and rollercoasters)
  3. Restaurants
  4. Spas and Golf
  5. Dry season is here! (October to May)
  6. Huge number of convention venues. You thinking of a number? It’s even higher than that.
  7. The second largest convention center in the nation makes it one of the most desirable conference locations.
  8. The second largest number of hotel rooms in the country (after Las Vegas).
  9. It’s easy to show your conference a good time.

Orlando has so much to do for attendees it’s virtually impossible to list it all. It is a vibrant fabulous place with wintertime golf and impressive conference turnout. When much of the US is covered in a winter snow, Orlando becomes even more desirable as a event destination. Check out the conference buzz, and choose Orlando for your next event.

In NYC on business? Take a break and take a ferry to the forgotten borough.

November 30, 2009 by lmb1962

The Staten Island Ferry consistently tops lists of the best things to do in New York City. If you’re attending a conference here and can fit in just one outing, this one should be it.

This 5-mile, 25 minute boat ride from Whitehall Terminal in Battery Park at the tip of Manhattan to the historic city of St. George on Staten Island offers outstanding views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the city’s various bridges. In the waters closer to St. George you’ll enjoy a breathtaking panorama of the city’s skyline. Perhaps best of all, this simple pleasure is absolutely free.

The Staten Island Ferry is a working commuter ferry (no vehicles allowed) provided by the New York Department of Transportation to bring Staten Islanders into the city.

The ferry runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The fleet makes 110 trips each weekday and 64 trips each weekend day, making this an attraction that’s easy to fit into your schedule. Timetables are available in 7 languages.

Ferry history and tips for a pleasant trip (hint: wrap your camera strap securely around your neck or wrist) are available at http://www.siferry.com/

If you have the time, consider hopping off the ferry and taking a meal and a wander in St. George. The area right around the ferry terminal is a historic district sprinkled with architecturally appealing old buildings, including many large Victorians left over from the city’s heyday as a fashionable resort in the 1830s.

Dozens of movies have been filmed wholly or partly on Staten Island, and a recent influx of artists seeking affordable has also contributed to making ‘the forgotten borough’ a vibrant community well worth a visit.