HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – AUGUST, 2016

Travelling to new destinations, and tasting many new wines along the way, has occupied much of my summer. For those of you who have asked where my August edition of Hotel Happenings and Program Promotions is, well…. This is it. So, stop whining. Will do my best to inform you of the latest deals and entertain you with mountains of information.
WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN FREE MEETING PLANNING SERVICES IN A FLORIDA RESORT DESTINATION?
You read that correctly. The Bradenton Area CVB is offering free meeting planning services, whether you need help with site selection, itineraries for entertainment, or help with over-flow hotel availability or citywide event planning. The CVB offers complimentary welcome bags (one per room night plus 10 per group), can they can arrange visits to local attractions. They even have a first-time incentive program, but you’ll need to contact them directly about that (and tell them you heard about it in my blog, please!)
www.Bradenton Gulf Islands email@ebradentongulfislands.com
RENOVATE, REJEUVENTATE AND CONSTRUCTION OF NEW VENUES
Work continues on the $30 million facelift for the Sheraton Bay Point Resort in the Florida Panhandle. The date for the grand reopening is set for this Fall. Here’s what to look for: 5,000 sf covered event space in the St. Andrews Pavilion as well as other waterfront event spaces. Golfers, get set to ride one of the five new GolfBoards® to the Bay Point Golf & Tennis Club. I’m not a golfer but you can definitely pique my interest with what’s happening with the 12,000 sf Serenity Spa, slated to be finished in September. On tap: new treatment rooms and lounges, rejuvenated whirlpool, sauna and steam room as well as an updated reception area.
www.baypointresorts.com
Celebrate the renovations of Caesar Entertainment’s Atlantic City properties and you may win a complimentary Las Vegas getaway for two! Book a group by September 30 and received a $15,000 credit to your master account. You also get the getaway for two guests, which comes with a three-night hotel stay, airfare, spa access for two, airport transfers and a $200 dining credit. This is a play with no downside.
Caesars Means Business caesarsmeansbusiness@e.caesarsmeansbusiness.com
Is it too soon to book for winter vacations or group meetings in Europe? Not if you want to take advantage of incentives being offered by Design Hotels’ newest five member properties. The 69-room Robey in Chicago, IL calls itself a B&B, but I’ve never stayed at a B&B situated in the middle of a hip neighborhood with a ground-floor restaurant that serves French-American cuisine or has a rooftop cocktail lounge that looks over the Chicago cityscape. The hotel by Grupo Habita also houses the Café Robey Lounge and Bar behind its limestone Art Deco façade, perfect as event space. Bok now for stays from the end of November 2016 and receive free breakfast.
You won’t be able to stay at the Huus Gstaad in Gstaad, Switzerland before December (there are some blackout dates), but you can book stays until March 4, 2017 and receive 15 off Bar, breakfast, WiFi, access to the gym etc.
Immerse yourself in history in the luxury boutique hotel Memmo Príncipe Real in Lisbon, Portugal. Set in a charming neighborhood, the 41-room property is available for stays beginning in October.
Also in Portugal, the São Miguel in Azores has no stay restrictions from now until December 31, plus to you receive 25% off BAR, breakfast, exclusive hotel tour, and more.
Need a serene setting? Where else but the 12-unit La Bandita Townhouse in Pienza, Italy would you be able to meditate quietly, just as the nuns did who lived there for 500 years. The luxury dwellings have been modernized, but this jewel is tucked inside the historic center of the UNESCO Heritage village of Pienza, in Southern Tuscany. You must book a maximum 15 days in advance, but can book and stay without date restrictions. You’ll receive 15% OFF BAR.
www.designhotels.com
“It Pays to Meet in Kissimmee!” Experience Kissimmee (FL) has renewed its successful Free T-Shirts campaign though 2017. The program awards up to $4,100 per meeting, based on the total number of room nights booked.
www.Incentive.MeetInKissimmee.com.
Reunions heading to Central Florida can earn free personalized reunion T-shirts when staying in Kissimmee. More information is available at ReunionsInKissimmee.com.
HOLIDAY CHEER FOR MEETINGS AND EVENTS
Disney World Resort is ladling out a mugful of good cheer with two programs designed for groups of at least 20. Available December 2 – 29, the events include immersive theming and customized menus. The Winter Wonderland Escape package available at Disney’s Contemporary Resort transports a group of up to 200 into a world of snow-capped evergreens and larger-than-life snowflakes, with lunch and dinner menus featuring festive holiday fare such as Herb Panko-Crusted North Atlantic Cod, Turkey Meatballs tossed with Maple-Granny Smith Apple Gastrique and Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake. More classically-inclined guests may prefer the Holiday Memories package at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Convention Center. Candlelight, holiday-colored ornaments on decorated tables. Groups from 20 – 80 can partake of Carved Maple-Glazed Turkey with Thyme Jus, Mama’s Pot Roast with Pan Gravy and a variety of holiday desserts. Of course, there are always additional services, from holiday singers to character appearances.
www.disneymeetings.com; 321-939-7129.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE THE FAMILY BEHIND WITH OMNI HILTON HEAD OCEANFRONT RESORT’S NEW CORPORATE PROGRAMS
Mindful that many meeting attendees enjoy having their family nearby, the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort has created some new teambuilding, arts and crafts enrichment, and water-themed events for the family to enjoy while the parent is working (or at least, trying to). The “Youth Corporate Programs” appeal to children four to 12 and the “Teen Corporate Programs” hosts children 13 – 17 years. Meeting planners can customize each program by theme, time of day and length of event to best accommodate schedules. The options are extensive from which meeting planners can choose for youth groups of at least 10. F&B is also available. Each program is supervised by CPR/AED certified youth counselors.
1-800-788-OMNI; Facebook.com/OmniHotels; @OmniHotels

THIS TECHNOLOGY WON’T LEAVE YOUR ATTENDEES AFLOAT!
Sound Mind Events has the perfect solution to maximizing your space around an outdoor pool. Try covering the pool with their acrylic staging. From the Flush Mount Pool Covers to a standard pool cover option with your choice of clear or frosted acrylic surface. Sound Mind Events has an Event Planners Guide to help with your decision.
Sound Mind Events robert@soundmindevents.com; 866-273-9985
Karen Kuzsel is a writer-editor based in the Orlando area who specializes in the hospitality, entertainment, meetings & events industries.  She has been a Contributing Editor-Writer for Prevue Magazine and is an active member of ISES and MPI and is now serving on the 2015 – 2016 MPI Global Advisory Board for The Meeting Professional Magazine. Karen writes about food & wine, spas, destinations, venues, meetings & events. A career journalist, she has owned magazines, written for newspapers, trade publications, radio and TV. As her alter-ego, Natasha, The Psychic Lady, she is a featured entertainer for corporate and social events. karenkuzsel@earthlink.net; www.ThePsychicLady.com; @karenkuzsel; @thepsychiclady.