Rejuvenate

Online nominations for MPI’s Recognizing Industry Success and Excellence (RISE) Awards are being accepted until Dec. 15, 2009. You do not have to be a member of Meeting Professionals International to submit a nomination.

The presidents of two industry groups sent open letters to President Obama and Congressional leaders outlining plans to spur economic growth and job creation in the U.S. The letters were sent in advance of the White House Jobs Summit December 10.

Conference and Event Manager Dean Jones has the inside scoop on the 2010 Rejuvenate Marketplace, which will be held in Louisville, Ky., October 18-21. Here’s a look at the changes and improvements he foresees in the future for the reverse tradeshow.

Smith Travel Research (STR) forecast U.S. hotel industry rates, revenue and occupancy to begin recovering in 2011, based on improved occupancy and less inventory in the pipeline. While any growth is welcome, the levels are nowhere near the business enjoyed by the industry prior to 2008-2009.

Favorable tax incentives, global shipping options and the fact that U.S. citizens don’t need a passport are key features being promoted by hospitality officials from the U.S. Virgin Islands to encourage planners to bring their meetings and events to St. ...

As a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico is another island destination that doesn’t require U.S. citizens to have a passport for entry. Among the newest developments is the Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention Center Hotel & Casino, the first new full-service hotel in San Juan in more than 10 years. ...

Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism is working to develop faith-based tourism. It commissioned a faith-based committee last year to develop strategies and marketing plans to target churches in the United States, ...

Three cruise ship companies canceled excursions to parts of Nassau, Bahamas, after police reported several armed robberies that targeted tourists. Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line and Disney Cruise Line ...

Have you ever wished airlines would detail all those extra little charges that add to the cost of a ticket? Senator Robert Mendez (D-NJ) has proposed a bill that would do just that. The Clear Airfares ...

Four new meeting facilities are scheduled to open in Florida’s capital city in 2010, adding to Tallahassee’s existing inventory of 398, 000 square feet of meeting space and more than 6,500 hotel rooms. ...

Following a multi-million dollar renovation, the former Sheraton Atlanta Hotel in Buckhead is now the Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel & Conference Center. Located in the heart of Atlanta’s shopping, ...

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. plans to move its headquarters from White Plains, N.Y., to Stamford, Conn., in January 2012. The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development ...

When 290 meeting planners and more than 500 suppliers gather in a city for multiple room nights, there’s bound to be an economic stimulus. According to the Greater Birmingham CVB, the 2009 Rejuvenate Marketplace generated $704,000 in visitor spending in Birmingham, Ala., Oct. ...

Attendance at the 21 education sessions during the 2009 Rejuvenate Marketplace in Birmingham last week (Oct. 27-30) was a testament to the high level of professionalism of faith-based meeting planners. ...