Travel Services/Destination Information

• American Passport Express — U.S. passports expedited in 24 hours; www.americanpassport.com

• Background Notes, U.S. Dept. of State — valuable source for specific destinations around the world; search under “Travel and Business/Countries and Regions” at www.state.gov.

• Business Travel Net — information about business travel products and services worldwide, including airlines, hotels, car rental companies; www.businesstravelnet.com

• Embassy World — a directory and search engine for the world's embassies and consulates; embassyworld.com

• Flyer Talk — designed for frequent fliers with forums on miles and points, travel and dining; www.flyertalk.com

• Frommer's — Type in your destination and link to useful info about dining, attractions, cultural life, walking tours, shopping links, and more. www.frommers.com/destinations

• Global Edge — by the Center for International Business Education and Research at Michigan State University (MSU-CIBER), a Web portal that connects international business professionals to information, insight, and learning resources on global business; http://globaledge.msu.edu/ibrd/ibrd.asp

• The International Trade Administration — government data on various countries, including tariff and import fee information, U.S. import duties, etc.; www.trade.gov/td/tic

• Multimap.com — This European site has maps of the U.K., Europe, and the U.S.; aerial phtots, directions; and geo-spatial searches (Where's the nearest ‥?”). There's also a London Tube map. www.multimap.com

• Routes International — flight tracker; travel and booking info; Web links to transportation resources, including trains, ferries, city buses, and rail pass information; travel for the disabled; http://routesinternational.com

• U.S. Customs Know Before You Go — specific info for U.S. residents returning home, including duty regulations and customs exemptions; www.cbp.gov

• U.S. Embassies — Embassies abroad offer a range of information. See “Websites of U.S. Embassies and Other Diplomatic Missions” online under http://usembassy.state.gov

• U.S. Passport Services — where to apply for a passport; downloadable, printable passport applications; answers to frequently asked questions; www.travel.state.gov

Nuts-and-Bolts/Tips, Clocks, and Codes

• Earth Calendar — interactive datebook of holidays and celebrations aroundthe world; www.earthcalendar.net

• Free Translation Calendar — a site that translates English into a variety of languages. www.freetranslation.com

• Interfaith Calendar — calendar with listings of religious holidays; www.interfaithcalendar.org/index.htm

• International Dialing Codes — worldwide phone codes; electrical plug info; direct-dial prefixes; a mobile phone guide; how to make calls to and from foreign countries; how to hook up your laptop anywhere; www.kropla.com

• International Postal Calculator — U.S. Postal Service calculator for letters and packages; http://ircalc.usps.gov

• Lonely Planet — lots of worldwide travel tips and guides, as well as discussions; www.lonelyplanet.com

• Postal Rates — directory, links, and resources for postal rates and codes around the world; www.postalrates.info

• Rudy Maxa — some great insider tips and locales for both planners and attendees; www.maxablog.com

• Time and Date — Web site with time zone information; www.timeanddate.com

• Time Zone Converter — www.timezoneconverter.com

• Unit Converter — feet to meters and vice versa, as well as other useful conversions; www.digitaldutch.com/unitconverter

• The Weather Channel — Click on “World” in menu bar, then type in the country. www.weather.com

Destination Management Companies

• Euromic — consortium of two dozen European DMCs; Chicago office: www.euromic.com

• Global Events Partners — alliance of DMCs from around the world; based in Washington, D.C.; contact information, creative themes, online RFPs; www.globaleventspartners.com

• Networld — connects planners with its overseas network of travel suppliers; www.networldinc.com

• Travel Trade Marketing USA — sales, marketing, and reservations for the international travel industry; www.ttmusa.com

• World of Incentives — network of DMCs from 20 countries; www.woinetwork.com

Shipping/Customs Freight Forwarders

• ATA Carnet — for a list of ATA Carnet member countries and copies of ATA Carnet forms; www.atacarnet.com

• LogLink Logistics Links — Web links for customs brokers, worldwide freight carriers, business contacts, routing software; www.loglink.com

• World Customs Organization — international customs and trade info; 159 members worldwide; www.wcoomd.org

Insurance

• Event Savers — Rust Insurance Agency Inc.; www.rustinsurance.com

• ExpoplusCCI — event cancellation insurance; www.expoplus.net

• Showstoppers Event Cancellation Insurance — ASAE-endorsed event-cancellation insurance offered through Travelers; request quote online; www.asae-aon.com/aec3.php

• Squaremouth.com travel insurance — Web site compares major travel insurance products. Can also research insurance carriers and make purchases; www.quotetravelinsurance.com

• Worldwide Emergency Services — a value-added reseller of MEDEX service; www.tosafety.com

Safety and Security

• Air Security International, L.P. — offers a spectrum of security options, from on-site safety to secure travel; based in Houston, Texas; (713) 430-7300; www.airsecurity.com

• Federal Emergency Management Agency — Web site includes an extensive disaster preparedness list; www.fema.gov/plan/index.shtm

• Global Hotspot Information — country-by-country information with details on weather, flash medical reports, transport-related strikes likely to cause delays, and demonstrations and security incidents of concern to travelers; www.sheldonlittle.com

• U.S. Department of State Travel Warnings and Bureau of Consular Affairs Information Sheets — the latest headline warnings for every country of the world, including the location of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate; www.travel.state.gov

Medical Services/Information

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's International Travelers Health Site — health info on countries worldwide; www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm

• GlobalCare and Global Emergency Medical Services Inc. — offers the MedPass program; (800) 860-1111; www.globalcare.net

• InHouse Physicians — offers on-site medical care, support, and risk management consulting for events worldwide; (800) 356-3627; www.inhousephysicians.com

• International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers — publishes directory of 850 English-speaking doctors in 130 countries; (716) 754-4883; www.iamat.org

• International SOS Assistance Inc. — provides medical clinics worldwide, emergency assistance, insurance plans: (215) 245-4707, (215) 244-1500, (800) 523-8930; www.internationalsos.com

• MEDEX Assistance Corp. — medical assistance; insurance; 24-hour professional multilingual assistance; (800) 527-0218, (410) 453-6300; www.medexassist.com

• Worldwide Assistance Services Inc. — provides medical assistance around the globe; corporate memberships or event-specific coverage available; (800) 777-8710; www.worldwideassistance.com

VAT/Tax Reclaim

• FEXCO Tax Reclaim Services — www.fexco.com/ctax.php

• Global Refund — www.globalrefund.com

• Meridian Reclaim Services — www.meridianvat.com

• Revenue Canada Visitor Rebate — www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/visitors

Currency Information and Services

• CNN's Financial Network Currencies Market — charts of currency values compared to the U.S. dollar, showing the latest trade dates; money.cnn.com/markets/currencies

• ConvertIt.com — just about everything by way of conversion tools, from currency to measurements to time zones; www.convertit.com

• Ruesch International — international payment solutions for cross-border transactions worldwide; www.ruesch.com

• Travelex Financial Services — comprehensive range of corporate and commercial payment services for companies doing business internationally; www.travelexusa.com

• The Universal Currency Converter — interactive chart that converts U.S. dollars into a selected currency, and vice versa; www.xe.com/ucc

• Visa Expo — click on ATM Locator to pinpoint the exact location of ATM and bank machines in cities and airports around the world; international.visa.com/main.jsp

Associations

• American Society of Association Executives; www.asaecenter.org

• British Association of Conference Destinations; www.bacd.org.uk

• Convention Industry Council, www.conventionindustry.org

• The European Federation of Conference Towns; www.efct.com

• ICCA — International Congress and Convention Association; www.iccaworld.com

• International Association of Congress Centres; www.aipc.org

• International Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus; www.iacvb.org; www.officialtravelguide.com

• Meeting Professionals International; www.mpiweb.org

• Meetings & Events Australia; www.miaanet.com.au

• Professional Convention Management Association, www.pcma.org

• The Society of Incentive & Travel Executives; www.site-intl.org