News
An Occasion for Growth
All Occasions Event Rental, based in Evendale, Ohio, has completed its 38,000-square-foot expansion project, more than doubling its space.
“Our recent expansion positions us to better serve the special event community, offering a wider variety of special event rental equipment for corporate meetings and events, weddings and private parties,” said Charlie Neffle, owner of the company. “We are pleased with the expansion, which aids our current business and will also accommodate future growth.”
For more information, go to www.aorents.com.
Fame and Fortune and Everything that Goes with It…
At the end of August, 22 individuals and companies from around the country basked in the glow of becoming Event Solutions Spotlight Award recipients. Anyone who stood on the stage of the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver at the Fabulous Showcase Event saw one of those companies in action. PRI Productions brought to life the Egyptian God Ra to create one of the hottest events at The 2006 Idea Factory.
Hotel College Opens Singapore Branch
The University of Nevada at Las Vegas’s William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration has opened its first international campus in Singapore.
Officials said the growth of tourism in Asia is what spurred the creation of UNLV Singapore.
“The proximity of Singapore to China and other Asian nations makes it the ideal place for our hospitality management programs as Asian tourism increases dramatically over the next 10 to 20 years,” said Stuart Mann, dean of the hotel college.
The 12,000-square-foot campus is housed on the 10th and 11th floors of the National Library of Singapore, a prestigious building comparable to the United States Library of Congress. The campus will offer bachelor’s degree programs in hotel administration and hospitality management.
The Harrah College of Hotel Administration is also an education partner of Event Solutions, and offered certificates and master’s degree-level courses at The Idea Factory 2006 in Denver.
For more information, go to http://hotel.unlv.edu.
Orlando Hotelier Honored
Harris Rosen, founder and president of Rosen Hotels & Resorts, has been named Best Corporate Citizen for 2006 by Orlando Magazine.
The magazine polls its readers annually to create a guide to some of the “many wonderful businesses and individuals that help make The City Beautiful a great place to live.”
The magazine also honored Jack’s Place, the restaurant at the Rosen Plaza in Orlando that was named after Rosen’s father Jack, as the Best Restaurant on International Drive for 2006.
“I’m truly honored with these distinctions,” Rosen said. “Central Florida has been my home for over three decades now, and I am fortunate to be able to assist and work with the citizens of
this community.”
Among his contributions are donations of more than $22 million to the University of Central Florida for the creation of a school of hospitality management.
For more information, go to www.rosenhotels.com.
Facilities Association Names New President
Larry PerkinsThe International Association of Assembly Managers Inc. (IAAM) recently named Larry Perkins, assistant general manager of the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C., as president of
the association.
Perkins is a 30-year industry veteran who began his career as the assistant manager for Pinkerton’s Sports Division at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, N.J.
IAAM is a professional association dedicated to issues relevant to the management of public assembly facilities. Its more than 3,200 members manage public assembly facilities such as amphitheaters, arenas, auditoriums, convention centers/exhibit halls, performing arts venues, stadiums and university complexes, or provide products, services or attractions to support the industry. IAAM has more than 3,200 members worldwide.
For more information, go to www.iaam.org.
All Trussed Up
Courtesy: Global TrussGlobal Truss America recently helped Toyota Motor Corp. introduce six new 2007 car and truck models at a NASCAR race at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C.
Global Truss had less than 10 days of lead time to complete the project, which included an elevated platform framed by a U-shaped configuration of trussing, consisting of two truss posts on the side and a third strip going across the top.
“Often when you get a project of this nature it’s a rush-type job, where you have maybe 7 to 10 days from the time you get the ‘go’ to the time the entire installation actually has to be completed,” said Justin Jenkins of Creative Production & Design in Austin, Texas.
Jenkins handled the technical specifications for the exhibit, while event marketing firm Brand Promotions Inc. of Carson, Calif., provided conceptual drawings.
For more information, go to www.globaltruss.com, www.cpdaustin.com and www.brand-promotions.com.
Carlson Marketing Buys Navigant
Carlson Marketing has purchased TQ3 Navigant Performance Group (NGP), increasing its meetings and incentives division by 25 percent.
The Navigant name will be dropped once the merger is complete, officials said.
Carlson acquires a number of consumer products clients in the buyout, including Saturn, Nortel, GlaxoSmithKline, Kodak, NBC, Merck and Saab Automobile USA.
“We see the merging of Carlson Marketing and NPG as an outstanding opportunity to grow and expand our meetings and events business worldwide, and as an opportunity that not only includes NPG’s current client base of Fortune 1000 companies, but also its team of gifted associates,” said Jim Schroer, president and chief executive officer.
Keeping those clients is a priority, officials said.
“The benefit for current NPG clients is that they’ll continue to enjoy the same service and access to the account teams they’ve worked with in the past, in addition to having Carlson Marketing’s other 3,000 marketing professionals at their disposal,” said Robbin Rouillard, executive vice president of meetings and events.
NPG President Steve Some will become a senior vice president with Carlson Marketing, based in New Jersey and concentrating on East Coast clients.
“We’re looking forward to a smooth integration process that leverages and closely aligns our complementary capabilities, creating synergies that will ultimately benefit our clients,” Some said. “Our joint goal is to engage, entertain and educate using meetings and events as the platform for our clients to strengthen relationships and deliver results.”
For more information, go to www.carlsonmarketing.com.
California CVBs Unite
Four Los Angeles-area convention and visitors bureaus have formed a joint venture to collectively market accommodations and destinations.
The new group, calling itself the “L.A. Westside Tourism Partnership,” comprises The Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau, Marina del Rey Convention & Visitors Bureau, Santa Monica
Convention & Visitors Bureau and West Hollywood Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The jurisdiction includes destinations such as the Santa Monica Pier, West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip, Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and the world’s largest man-made marina in Marina del Rey.
The Westside coalition has launched www.westla.com as an official Web address and is in the process of building a helpful website for easy visitor reference that will allow travelers to learn of the region’s collective offerings and learn more of the individual destinations as well.
“Visitors are not concerned with city borders,” said Misti Kerns, president and CEO of the Santa Monica CVB. “They just want to know how to access the destination and obtain the cohesive services they need to have an enjoyable trip. And that’s what we plan to offer by working collectively.”
At a Glance
The Westside in Numbers
Total number of rooms: 8,545
Average daily rates (June ’06): $184 - $350-plus
Average occupancy (June ’06): 78% - 86%
Room tax revenue: $60 million
Combined CVB operating budgets: $6.5 million