Happy New Year! We start the New Year on a note of collaboration and cooperation. In these days of rising costs and shrinking budgets, achieving maximum value for meetings and incentives often comes down to things like creativity, diplomacy and “partnering with stakeholders and meeting hosts,” as one planner puts it in our cover story, Achieving Value: Partnerships are Critical for Success. Senior Contributing Editor Regina Baraban presents a mix of viewpoints and destinations—including such disparate locales as Boise and Malta—to illustrate the benefits of working as a team with partners and suppliers toward the common goal of creating a successful, memorable event.
With added value in mind, gaming destinations are rolling the dice on group-friendly amenities to lure more MICE business, as Senior Editor Steve Grasso discovers in the High-Stakes Business feature, which highlights powerhouse casino properties in Atlantic City, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Pechanga, CA. Today’s casino properties have embraced the wellness trend in both dining rooms and spa treatment rooms, while onsite recreation is keeping pace with planner expectations, from state-of-the-art AV and renovated meeting spaces to sustainability and immersive environments that foster social engagement.
Meanwhile, our globe-trotting writers and editors bring you first-hand intel on how to optimize meetings in Amelia Island, Orlando, New Orleans and Aruba. We also let you know what’s happening in the industry with Bureau Buzz and Fresh Meets, plus we've got the 411 on incentive trips to the Galapagos with HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) in the Seashores column.
Finally, we’re including two special supplements from two sunny destinations. The Meet in Florida Planner, published in conjunction with Visit Florida, takes a look at the Sunshine State through the lens of meetings, conventions and group adventures. Divided into three sections—North, Central and South—this guide covers a multitude of fresh ideas for planning a meeting or incentive trip anywhere from St. Augustine to the Florida Keys.
We’re also presenting the Mexico Meeting & Incentive Planner, which brings you the latest on the exciting developments hotels and resorts have planned for groups, from Los Cabos and Yucatan to Cancun and the Riviera Maya. Enjoy the issue! —Lisa Simundson