AS THE STAFFERS FILED into the conference room, some joked, others spoke in hushed tones, and a few buried their faces in their PDAs. This was to be a routine meeting, nothing special, nothing earth-shattering. Just another day...

THE CONVENTION INDUSTRY COUNCIL has approved suggested accepted practices from the APEX initiative's Resumes & Work Orders Panel, making this the third series of practices to be established by the initiative...

A MEETING OF insurance executives organized by the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers found itself interjected into this year's presidential race when keynote speaker L. Paul Bremer, former administrator of the U.S.-led occupation government...

AS READERS OF ICP well know, the insurance industry is on the hot seat. Since October 14, when New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer filed a civil suit against Marsh & McLennan Cos. for allegedly cheating customers with such practices...

Online check-in, which travelers practically take for granted in their airline travels, is rolling out in the hotel arena. Carlson Hotels Worldwide started offering online check-in to guests staying at Radisson Hotels & Resorts in the Americas...

WE ALL KNOW THE TYPE: the manager who advocates treating customers right, then is quick to take shortcuts that undermine the quality of the company's products or services in order to make the numbers. Or the executive who claims that people are...

BUSINESS SPEAKERS ARE once again in high demand, and new corporate themes are the focus at many financial services and insurance events across the country. This transformation means that the old “rah-rah” motivational message often doesn't work...

PLANNING A SUCCESSFUL WINE tasting, or trying to match wines with a gourmet meal, can be overwhelming. All too often, sommeliers suggest wines that you've never heard of. Their recommendations could be great advice, but they could also be based on...

Have you discovered Florida's Northwest coast yet? The stretch of beaches in Florida's panhandle is known as The Emerald Coast. Think soft sea breezes, pure white sand, and turquoise green — yes, green — sparkling waters...

While Mount St. Helens may be spewing a bit of gray into the sky, it's all about the sun right now at the Portland Oregon Visitors Association. Bureau executives are touting their new Web site, pova.com, as the first CVB Web site in the country to...