According to an article from HOTEL Asia Pacific, the Le Meridien Cyberport in Hong Kong is doing some interesting things that “would have more traditional hoteliers choking over their gin and tonics.”

Among them:
-No reception desk. Guests use wireless check-in, or check in through PDAs and laptops, or can be checked in from the restaurant by waiters and bartenders.

-Guests can check in and out at any time of the day or night they choose, even at 3 a.m.

Interesting concept. Whether it’ll fly or not with guests remains to be seen, but I like GM Dean Schreiber’s comment in the article, “It’s all about flexibility and giving the guests what they want – even if they don’t know they want it.”

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What a novel concept–give away your conference’s content on you Web site for free. That’s what the Pop! Tech 2004 Conference did recently, and this unnamed association exec loved the idea. As do I.

I agree with her that attendance will only grow as more people get a taste of what they offer. As she says:

This is an excellent example of the concept first expressed by Esther Dyson during the explosion of information in the early days of the web: give the information away. It’s not about “owning” the information, it’s about creatively aggregating and disaggregating it in a way that draws people in. Just because I can (happily, delightedly) listen in on the entire conference and even participate, I would easily part with the $1,500 or $2,000 to be there in person. As a matter of fact, I almost did attend but my schedule is always complicated this time of year. To cruise to their site and discover that I can still reap the benefits blows me away and reinforces Dyson’s dictum.

I think association executives should pay attention to the Pop! Tech conference model. We are so concerned about corralling our intellectual property that we lose sight of this new world in which we operate. When Pop! Tech gives their conference away I don’t think they will lose attendees next year. I think (predict) the number will grow. By listening in in real time and by being able to participate at least remotely only whets my appetite to be there in person, to meet fellow delegates, and to experience the richness of community that any well produced conference of like minds (especially these minds!) generates.

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The Hospitality Research Group of PKF Consulting is getting into the presidential prognosticating game: Hotel occupancy rates, they say, can predict who will be elected come Tuesday.

[HRG’s Executive Managing Director Mark Woodworth] explained that since 1929, national hotel occupancies have increased on 12 occasions during Presidential election years. The Democratic candidate won 75 percent of these elections. Since HRG is forecasting an occupancy increase in 2004 over 2003, it is also predicting a Kerry win (maybe).

“However, to quote Mark Twain, ‘there are lies, damned lies and statistics’,” Woodworth added. “This election year, we see some additional variables.

“Since the current administration has had to deal with the events of 9/11, SARS, wars, recession, etc., we analyzed the data in two additional ways,” he continued.

1. Since 1929, hotel occupancies have declined eight times during the first year of a Presidential administration. In five of those eight times, the incumbent party was kept in office for the following term. Since hotel occupancies declined in Bush’s first term, this suggests he has a 62.5 percent chance of re-election.

2. Nine times since 1929, hotel occupancies have increased during the first year of the administration. Six out of these nine times, the party that had been in charge was the very same party that had occupied the White House for the previous four years. Since HRG is forecasting hotel occupancies to increase again in 2005, this also suggests that Bush will be re-elected.

As for me, I’ll wait until the votes are in (which hopefully will happen next Tuesday this time around).

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According to eTurbo news, “The European Commission has ordered Italy to allow tour guides from other countries to take groups around monuments and tourist sites. The Commission has issued a formal notice to the Italian government to end its practice of preventing tour guides from other member states and overseas from acting as guides for their groups at sites of interest.”

I’m not sure where I stand on the issue–on one hand, Italy takes its historical sites very seriously and wants to ensure that only those truly knowledgeable can spout off about them. On the other hand, it does seem to be a restraint of trade.

Whatever. But if I was taking a group to Rome, I know I’d hire Roma7 and ask for Carlo Begliuti, who led me and some other journalists around on a fam there a while ago. He was amazing (click here for the writeup–it was fabulous).

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Maritz McGettigan says it can help pharma companies save money on their meetings without losing any quality. Says a press release, “Six of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies saved nearly $75 million on meetings in 18 months , according to Maritz McGettigan, the leading pharmaceutical/medical meetings, event and incentive travel planning company and a division of Maritz Travel. The companies saved an average of $12.5 million each on meeting costs by bringing meeting spending under one umbrella” using Maritz McGettigan’s proprietary consolidation process.

What’s interesting is that the company says it “guarantees companies will save 10 percent on their meeting costs if they spend $10 million and have 100 or more meetings annually.”

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For today’s Friday fun, an absolutely hilarious little video that mixes Halloween and politics:

Vote Busters

Cracked me up completely!

Another good one: Bush and Kerry’s Bohemian Rhapsody

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The Meetings Group is looking for a few qualified corporate meeting planners who’d like to go a few round on an all-expense-paid golf tournament in (drum roll please) Las Vegas. I’m not a golfer, so I’ve never gone, but my colleagues who have say it’s a blast–and a great way to network.

For more information, click here, or contact Diana Gabriel at dgabriel@primediabusiness.com or 212-462-3624.

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I just skipped through speaker and new face2face subscriber Scott Friedman’s Web site, and this from one of his articles struck me: When asked “What is it for you? What drives you? What do you value? What is your perfect world?” , Scott replied:

“It’s anything that revolves around fun and freedom. Freedom to come and go as I please, freedom to create, and freedom to make a difference in this world in ways I’d like.”

I’ll ditto that, with the addition of a World Series-winning Red Sox team!!

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I recently received this guest blog from author and speaker Kare Anderson:

Regarding Jeffrey Caufaude’s apt suggestions on balancing content and adult education needs, let me amplify: come back to our senses…all of them, and involve them in the experience.

Not only must there be more interaction, clarity, and time for reflection, but there must be more varied pace and variety in presentation style and forms of interaction.

The memory is in the motion itself. People feel and remember more when in motion. Get them involved in a variety of ways.

The Speakers Group has introduced a new online service for those with champagne tastes, caviar dreams, and Budweiser and chips budgets: BudgetFriendlySpeakers.com. As the site says, “You won’t find names like Tom Peters, Suze Orman, Zig Ziglar, or Oprah Winfrey,” but you do get an alphabetical order listing of speakers willing to come work your meeting for $3,500 or less. You also can search by state, by minimum and maximum budget, and by topic.

Thanks to the MIMlist listserv for the pointer.

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