Feb 07, 2006

That's what this article in the New York Times explores, along with how some hotels try to game the system to make their properties look better. There is a problem with all the online ratings systems, for Amazon to TripAdvisor, I think, in that...

Read this and weep

Feb 07, 2006

Oh, this is so not good: Make $20,000 A Month As An Event Planner. From the sales pitch...

Forget the masseuse: Get some NapGrass

Feb 04, 2006

Some hotels provide comfy couches for lounging, and masseuses are starting to become fairly commonly seen sights outside of ballrooms. But if your attendees really need to relax, try putting in a little NapGrass. I don't know what it is about t...

Cornell tipping study finds racial disparities

Feb 03, 2006

A new report from Cornell School of Hospitality Administration, called, "Race Differences in Tipping: Questions and Answers for the Restaurant Industry,â€ finds that there are a number of differences in how people of different races, genders, and...

San Francisco in Jell-O

Feb 03, 2006

I can't believe I missed the opening of San Francisco's Exploritorium's Reconsidered Materials exhibition, which features wonders like this depiction of the Bay Bridge, made out of Jell-O, by artist Elizabeth Hickok. She's probably too ...

There's customer service, and then there's customer service

Feb 02, 2006

I know I tend to rant a lot about customer service, but I think it's wicked important (to use a Massachusetts saying) to the success of any meeting or event. But then I got this phone call that had me scratching my head...

Of Super Bowls and CVBs

Feb 02, 2006

OK, I just got this press release about a very cute Super Bowl bet between the Pittsburgh and Seattle CVBs and had to share...

MPI, IMEX to launch cross-cultural tool

Feb 02, 2006

Funny that this came up just after I attended a session on cultural competency in CME at the Alliance for CME meeting last week. Simone Champagnie at Something Extra says that IMEX and Meeting Professionals International will be launching a...

Matchmaking and meetings

Feb 02, 2006

We're starting to see more of the meeting "matchmaking" programs, where you go to a Web site, fill in your interests and areas of expertise, and have a way to find ahead of time those who you might want to connect with face to face. I've taken one...

Monkey business?

Feb 02, 2006

Does your colleagues' monkeying around drive you ape? Believe it or not, CareerBuilder surveyed 2,050 people to find out. From the press release...