About Trade Shows
| Wendy S. Shapiro
offers FoD her expertise in this regular column to assist women in business
with planning unique events On Location.
301/254-4556 phone / 301/571-4322 fax
A meetings industry professional, Wendy Shapiro has been working in
the meetings industry for the past decade. She has organized meetings of
all kinds and on all levels:
Association meetings, special events and corporate events
Local, national and international meetings
Hotels, convention centers, resorts and university meetings
Q: What is the appropriate attire for our next staff retreat?
A: The current trend is toward business-casual attire. According to
Jon Grove, CAE, executive vice president of the American Society of Association
Executives, "the main reason for business-casual attire is that it works.
Casual dress is more conducive to effective learning. We know that people
attend conventions and meetings for the opportunity to exchange ideas and
create new solutions. Any barriers, real or perceived, to the free exchange
of ideas will impair a meeting's success. We also know that most people
attending meetings these days are baby boomers, who bring an entirely different
sense of expectations to a meeting, one of which is comfort and flexibility."
Q: Speaking of Generation Xers, what does it take to motivate them?
A: In the January 1997 issue of Nation's Business, a simple answer to
a complex issue is discussed: Gen Xers:
* Respond best to a management style that makes them feel important
and part of the process.
* Are just as driven as Baby Boomers, but prefer to expend their energy
outside the workplace, where they get some reward.
* Want control of all aspects of their lives, with the job being only
one part.
* Do not respond to pressure or threats.
* Do respond to teamwork and individual development.
Q: I'm looking for a spot for a weekend getaway where I can relax
my mind while working my body. Any suggestions?
A: The January 1997 issue of Smart Money listed the following options:
* White Stallion Ranch (40 rooms), Tucson, Arizona. Dude ranch with
tennis courts.
* The Hermosa Inn (35 rooms), Paradise Valley, Arizona. Featuring casitas
and gardens, also with tennis courts.
* Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort (66 rooms), Death Valley, California.
Offering horseback riding, golf, swimming pool, and hiking.
* Le Meridien (300 rooms), San Diego, California. Offering 3 swimming
pools, golf, tennis and a full-service spa.
* The Kahala Mandarin Oriental (371 rooms), Honolulu, Hawaii. Featuring
a private beach, two swimming pools, exotic gardens and ample watersports.
* Hotel Westin Brisas (428 rooms), Ixtapa, Mexico. Offering a swimming
pool, tennis, gym and watersports.
* La Cure Villas (4 villas; 26 suites), Costa de Careyes, Mexico. Each
unit comes with a cook, maid, houseman and private pool.
* Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort & Spa (145 rooms, 27 suites), Cable
Beach, Bahamas. Adults-only, all-inclusive facility.
* Hostellerie des Trois Forces (8 rooms), St. Barts. Located atop a
hill with a beach below.
* Rendezvous Bay Hotel (20 rooms; 24 villas), Anguilla. Located on
the beach.
: What keeps CEOs awake at night?
A: According to the February 1997 issues of Inc., Inc. 500 CEOs' biggest
worries are: Competitors' strategies; Managing people; Keeping up with
technology; Managing growth; Managing money; Raising enough money; Government
legislation; Meeting orders; and lawsuits.
Q: Why is outsourcing a buzzword of the '90s?
A: Because "organizations today can afford to invest only in functions
central to their core competencies," according to a recent article in Convene,
the monthly magazine of the Professional Convention Management Association.
They list the top 10 reasons for outsourcing as:
1. Improve organization focus.
2. Gain access to "world-class" capabilities.
3. Reduce and control operating costs.
4. Resources not available internally.
5. Free internal resources for other purposes.
6. Accelerate re-engineering benefits.
7. Function difficult to manage/out of control.
8. Make capital funds available.
9. Cash infusion.
10. Share risks. |

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