<B>Meetings Beat</B>
<B>Sheraton Gets Smart In Europe</B>
Sheraton is rolling out a branded conferencing product at its European properties and expects to extend the package to North America and the rest of the world. Called Smart Meeting Rooms, the new proposition involves three main planks: a state-of-the-art conference room, specially devised cuisine and a promise of one-stop shopping for the buyer. Sheraton is introducing the Smart Meeting Rooms after its research revealed a lack of consistency in its meetings product. The Smart Meeting Rooms will have been installed in at least 25 European properties by the time the product is officially launched next April. Sheraton's regional divisions are highly autonomous so there is no guarantee the concept will cross the Atlantic but the U.S.-based spokeswoman said, "It won't be a hard concept to sell internally." The rooms will feature ergonomically designed furniture with laptop connection sockets at each table. There also will be multimedia control panels, Internet connections and extra touches like electric blackout curtains. "It will be a real meeting room, rather than just a room with chairs and a table," added the spokeswoman.
<A NAME="2"><B>It's Official: Colorado Center To Double In Size</B>
Denver's voters have approved an initiative to expand the Colorado Convention Center to about twice its current size. The Election Day decision to approve $268 million in spending will create 292,000 square feet of new exhibit space and 60,000 square feet of new meeting space. "It's taken us three years, but this is extremely exciting," said Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau president Eugene Dilbeck. "Work will begin immediately on the design process." The work is expected to be complete by early 2003. Marriott International plans to build a new $211 million hotel across the street.
<A NAME="3"><B>NYCVB Gives Lategano Presidential Slot ...</B>
The New York City Convention and Visitors Bureau has named travel-industry rookie Cristyne Lategano, former director of communications for Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, as its new president. An executive search committee of NYC&Co., the NYCVB's parent organization, recommended Lategano as successor to Fran Reiter, who left the NYCVB earlier this year to consider becoming a mayoral candidate in 2001. Lategano, 34, has worked in the Giuliani administration as press secretary and director of communications since the mayor's election in 1993. Published reports have characterized the decision to name Lategano as Giuliani's alone, but NYC&Co. spokesman Patrick Clark would not comment on Giuliani's role in Lategano's selection nor her lack of travel industry experience.
<A NAME="4"><B>... While Detroit's Gives Alexander The Go Ahead </B>
Also in the CVB-head news: One year later, the Metropolitan Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau has dropped the "acting" from president and CEO Larry Alexander's title. Alexander, formerly managing director of a former Westin in the city, was officially named the CVB's head last month after holding the position in interim since Rick Binford's departure. During Alexander's interim tenure, the controversial union work rules at the city's Cobo Conference & Exhibition Center were changed in a new city-labor pact (<I>Meetings Today</I>, Feb. 22).
<A NAME="5"><B>Rosenbluth Partners With PlaceWare</B>
In a move reminiscent of the heady early days of videoconferencing, travel management company Rosenbluth International of Philadelphia has formed a strategic partnership with Webcaster PlaceWare Inc. of Mountain View, Calif. Rosenbluth will position PlaceWare's Webcasting capability as part of a suite of technology-based travel solutions designed as an alternative to corporate meetings travel.
<A NAME="6"><B>T.E.A.M. Net Allies With World Of Incentives</B>
The current trend of destination management company consolidation and alliances continues unabated. Altanta-based T.E.A.M. Net, a consortium of DMCs in 13 American cities, has hooked up with World of Incentives, a similar consortium of DMCs in more than 30 countries, based in Veitshoechheim, Germany. The partnership, while maintaining separate operations, will offer a worldwide DMC product, enabling planners to call any of the partners for referrals in any participating destination.