Affordable Meetings revamps, becomes HSMAI's MEET
MeetingsNet
At a time when many meetings industry conferences are launching or relaunching, one of the veterans in the space, Affordable Meetings, is also shaking things up. The national conference has a new name, MEET - which stands for Meetings, Events, Education, and Technology - as well as new ways for buyers and suppliers to do business. It will also feature a free, hybrid component.
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Preliminary program for HSMAI's MEET National released
HSMAI
Moving away from the traditional classroom setting, planners from across the meeting and event industry can learn from and interact with industry experts and each other while getting hands-on experience with some of the new educational formats offering great takeaways at HSMAI's MEET National, Sept. 7-8, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The preliminary program for a full view of the education and events taking place at HSMAI's MEET National.More

5 ways to boost meeting engagement using technology that everyone already has
MeetingsNet
According to the New Media Trend Watch 2011, nine out of 10 Gen-Ys (people age 18-34) are online, and nearly as many are social network users. They're ahead of the digital curve by almost any metric.More

25 resources to build your event website with WordPress
Event Manager Blog
WordPress is becoming a popular choice for event professionals wishing to reduce costs and build a reliable, social media integrated and performing event website, here are some resources to become a WordPress guru.More

StarCite launches mobile meetings app
Successful Meetings
Meetings technology company StarCite has launched a new mobile application for meeting attendees' smartphones, it announced. Called StarCite Mobile Attendee, the app allows meeting planners to instantly deliver meeting materials - including agendas, speaker bios, session handouts, logistics, maps and news alerts - to attendees' mobile devices, while also facilitating face-to-face networking with tools that let users search for and send messages to fellow meeting attendees.More

Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco Partners with Enterprise Rent-A-Car to offer Nissan LEAF program
Green Lodging News
Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco and Enterprise Rent-A-Car announced the availability of the city's first and only electric vehicle (EV) rental program and charging station to be hosted by a hotel, for the Nissan LEAF EV. The program and charging station are located on property and are available exclusively for property guests.More

ICEHOTEL Sweden: A river runs through it
Prevue
Above the Arctic Circle about a 90-minute flight north from Stockholm, ICEHOTEL is the 21st century poster child for sustainable meetings. Huge chunks of ice the size of a Saab are "harvested" from the frozen Torne River every fall to build the 85 riverside rooms that will last until April. Then ICEHOTEL melts and returns to its source in tune with the cyclical rhythms of Mother Nature.More

Young planners see strong future for the profession
Travel Market Report
The future of meeting planning is in the hands of younger planners who are enthusiastic about their careers and eager to bring change to the industry. They may belong to a generation that lives and works in cyberspace, but these young planners agree with their older colleagues that face-to-face get-togethers are crucial and cannot be replaced by texting, Skype and webinars.More

London remains open for business
Successful Meetings
Rioting youth and burning cars have been making headlines in London for the past four nights, but with a few exceptions, the riots have taken place well outside the city's business core and away from major tourist destinations in central London, such as Westminster, Covent Garden, Southbank, Kensington and Mayfair - these neighborhoods have not been affected and are still attracting tourists. More

The Mile High City: Reaching new heights for trade shows
Trade Show News Network
Think of Denver and you'll probably envision snow-capped mountains, beautiful natural surroundings and outdoorsy people with a passion for snow sports. But did you know that Colorado's capital city also is known as a first-tier trade show destination?More

Somerset House launches small meetings package
ConWorld
Dating back to the 18th Century, Somerset House commands some of London's most stunning Thames side views and sits at the heart of the city's numerous transport links. Somerset House's Navy Boardrooms, Portico Rooms and Screening Room have specifically been earmarked for discreet meetings and events.More