Stellar Events Blog

Yes, everyone is shocked and appalled that AIG conducted their “Independent Agent Convention” at the luxurious St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach less than a week after their colossal failure.  The media is missing the full perspective, which is only suggested by the posted hotel charges.   It’s surprisingly encouraging that the House Oversight Committee actually obtained this information so quickly.

FACTS:

• A well-designed incentive trip should pay for itself because agents are only rewarded if they meet their increased sales goals.

• This trip was undoubtedly planned well in advance, and AIG faced hundreds of thousands of dollars in contractual obligations even if the event was canceled.

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS:

• AIG contracted for 111 rooms on peak night – actual occupancy was only 68. They paid nearly $53,000 attrition for unused rooms. Was the sales incentive a major failure (like the company) or did sane people actually cancel their trip?

• While the cancellation costs would have been high, the many undisclosed on-site charges and the high-profile spa and golf charges would have been avoided. Who authorized this event to proceed?

• What about the transportation costs? We have no indication of how many attendees were actually ticketed, even if they ultimately did not attend. Each agent is undoubtedly allowed to bring a guest, so airline tickets are well over $100,000.

• Who negotiated a Presidential Suite at 5 nights for $3,200 + tax nightly? With anticipated attendance of over 200 people, a skillful negotiator should have demanded and obtained this suite on a complimentary basis or, at least, for the standard room rate of $425 nightly. Stellar Events has a group of only 140 traveling to Puerto Vallarta next week, and we have a Presidential Suite at the group rate guaranteed in our contract.

My small meeting planning business, Stellar Events,  has been profitable and debt-free for our entire nine years of incorporation. It hasn’t been difficult to work hard and focus on integrity.  Here’s a really big question: What’s our future in this failing economy, which is being destroyed by giant corporations that couldn’t do the same?

Yes!  We are #90 on the list, which is revenue-driven.   We started Stellar Events nine years ago, based on integrity and client service…and it worked.   

Last week I enjoyed a fabulous trip to Hawaii, starting at the amazing Four Seasons Hualalai, which the 2008/2009 Zagat Guide has named the  #1 resort in the world.   Then I  traveled to the Four Seasons Maui,  which offers complimentary daily yoga classes on the beach at 7:15 AM.  Here’s a photo of the early morning site for this perfect way  to start to the day:

And here’s the same scene three hours later:

When you’re in paradise, sleeping late may not be the best choice.

Hawaii is the ideal incentive destination, and Stellar Events can take you there.

Almost everyone wants to visit Costa Rica – a fabulous destination with unique activities, friendly locals, enticing cuisine, and gorgeous beaches. Because incentive trips require the best of the best, hotel choices are currently limited, with the outstanding Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo (pictured below) as a consistent favorite.

However, development is rampant in northwestern Costa Rica’s Guanacaste province, and it’s amazing how many elite resorts are under construction. Here’s a partial list of luxury properties with name-brand reputations, along with projected opening dates:

• JW Marriott – December 2008
• Hyatt Regency Azulera Resort – 2009
• Mandarin Oriental – 2009
• Regent Papagayo – 2010
• One and Only Resort Cacique – 2010

Now is the time to plan ahead and look for pre-opening values – Stellar Events excels at negotiation, and we LOVE to see hotels compete for your business. 

I may take the amazing appeal of Los Angeles for granted because I was born here and graduated from UCLA. Recently Stellar Events joined LA Inc. (Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau), and I rediscovered the unique features of my hometown, which conceptually includes such popular areas as Beverly Hills and Santa Monica.

There’s always something fresh and exciting (and I don’t mean the rumor that Britney Spears has bought a house in Calabasas, home to Stellar Events, but I’ll let you know when the choppers start circling.) For example, hotel news:

Super Green: the eco-friendly Hotel Palomar, a boutique Kimpton Hotel in Westwood, has in-room recycling bins, energy efficient lighting and organic food and beverage options in minibars, so guests can leave the guilt back home.

Diversity: The new  Kyoto Grand Hotel and Gardens, formerly the New Otani Hotel, features a 1/2-acre rooftop Zen garden in Little Tokyo.

Trendy:  SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, which opens August 18, is part of the Starwood Luxury Collection, and showcases sleek and cosmopolitan décor from sizzling French designer Phillip Starck.

Check out the LA Inc. website (www.discoverlosangeles.com):  it is absolutely terrific, and showcases our WOW destination for all types of sales meetings, conferences, and incentive trips.

Well, it’s not exactly a scoop. But I anticipated the news in my March 20^th post “Las Vegas: Desert Storm Ahead?” which noted the slowdown in Las Vegas business and questioned the viability of the thousands of hotels rooms opening there soon.

The front page of the May 6, 2008 Business section of "The New York Times" showcased “Economic Troubles Affect the Vegas Strip.”

Trust me: there are bargains to found when booking Las Vegas meetings, and Stellar Events can help your company find them.

In nearly twenty years of planning incentive trips and meetings, I’ve had some amazing worldwide experiences including 5-star adventures in Paris and the heart-stopping magnificence of Machu Picchu.

However, during a recent Stellar Events site inspection, all memories were exceeded by the breathtakingly beautiful Caribbean waters surrounding the Exuma Cays.

Add the luxurious Four Seasons Resort Great Exuma at Emerald Bay to this glorious setting, and it’s heaven on earth. Visit my destination photo album to see more.

       A Cay North of Great Exuma

The beauty of Great Exuma is free to those fortunate enough to have access to the island. However, adding the delights of a Four Seasons experience makes me agree with a recent NY Times article titled: “Maybe Money Does Buy Happiness After All.”

I enjoyed a picture-perfect weekend in Santa Barbara, which is being promoted as America’s Riviera.   Hilton Hotels  hosted top clients at Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort,   which fronts the beautiful Pacific.   And, yes, Daniel Boone himself  stopped by to welcome us to  his successful resort, where one can also purchase products from his nearby winery  including, seriously,  a coonskin cap bottle topper.

When companies request Hawaii, Mexico or the Caribbean for incentive trips, they overlook this special destination, which may be more affordable.  Santa Barbara has picturesque winery tours, abundant water sports such as sailing and kayaking, numerous gourmet restaurants, super shopping, stunning weather, and so much more.   With non-stop flights into Santa Barbara Airport from Dallas, Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and several California cities, arrivals are hassle-free and convenient.

So, add a little French theming – “Riviera Rendevous” – and you may transform Santa Barbara into the perfect incentive or meeting destination.

Stellar Events is finally seeing European suppliers respond to our repeated requests to guarantee rates for incentive travel in U.S. dollars.   As noted in previous entries, our clients prefer sites such as Bermuda and Costa Rica, where their budgets are secured in US dollars.

Ireland   is a popular  incentive and meeting destination, and we just received an amazing offer guaranteed in US dollars instead of Euros.   For an outstanding price of $1,700 US per person, based on double occupancy,  a trusted supplier is offering 5 nights in Dublin at the  luxurious Clontarf Castle  plus daily breakfast, welcome buffet, an off-property dinner with entertainment and transfers, farewell gala dinner with entertainment, a half day tour, a full day tour with pub lunch, plus airport transfers.

  

Clontarf Castle

With Aer Lingus   offering bargain short-term airfares,  excellent group rates can be negotiated.   Plus, they are partnering with Jet Blue on over 25 connecting cities that link to Aer Lingus’ New York departure.

In recent years, Ireland’s booming economy has been termed the “Celtic Tiger.”   This offer showcases how the Irish succeed by creating a financial edge over the competition.   Take advantage of it!

Last night I attended a special event hosted by Loews Hotels for meeting planners. In between the manicure, the chair massage, the Banana Republic fashion show and the artisanal cheeses (yes, this business has fine perks), I heard some unusual buzz.

The chatter is usually bright and cheery at this type of party. But, with today’s admittedly challenging economic trends, there were rumors: one of the largest Las Vegas hotels had furloughed over a thousand employees, and several upcoming citywide conventions have canceled their time in the gambling mecca.

If these tales are true, the timing is indeed unfortunate. Las Vegas has recently or will soon add many, many thousands of hotel rooms:

Palazzo (3,066 suites) primarily an additional tower at the Venetian: now open

Palms Place at the Palms Las Vegas (599 suites): opened last week

Trump International Hotel and Tower (1,281 suites): opens March 31, 2008

Wynn’s “Encore” Tower (2,034 suites): opens December 2008

Grand Hyatt Las Vegas at Cosmopolitan Resort and Casino – 2,973 rooms: opens late 2009

MGM City Center – a 4,000 room tower plus two 400-room high-end luxury hotels, including the Mandarin Oriental: opens late 2009

The bright side: Experienced negotiators (may I mention Stellar Events?) will be able to find outstanding bargains for future meetings.

As for the developers who planned these projects many years ago: Surely they knew they were gambling?