Puebla: (Puebla state)

Puebla lies in a large valley flanked by four volcanoes: Popocatepetl, Iztaccihuatl, Malinche, and Citlaltepetl. The city was established in 1531 by colonists to whom Spain had granted lands and Indian slaves.

Noted for its French Renaissance design, Puebla's colonial architecture features many churches and buildings with ornamental, wrought-iron balconies and window gratings. Throughout the city, walls are adorned with a lavish combination of dark red and vivid Talavera tiles. (This colorful form of decorative art was originally introduced by tilemakers from Toledo, Spain.)

Case Study: Convention Crowd * Place: Cancun

* Company: American Chemical Society

* Attendees: 4,000

* Hotels: Camino Real, Krystal, Hyatt Regency, Fiesta Americana Cancun & Coral Beach, Presidente Inter-Continental, Continental Plaza

Christine Pruitt, in charge of conventions for the American Chemical Society in Washington, D.C., used Travel Planners, Inc., San Antonio, Texas, to smooth the way for the 4,000 attendees of the 5th Chemical Congress of North America.

"Cancun worked well for this meeting because the major hotels were so close to the convention center. The local bus that runs on the main thoroughfare was so reliable, I saved $30,000 off my budget because I didn't have to use special shuttle buses. Also, the Cancun Convention Center is extremely well-designed and that added to the overall success as well."