October 2009 CVB Panel

Usually a big draw for our chapter anyway, this particular luncheon drew one of our largest crowds,
with nearly 130 people attending the sold-out event on October 15.

This year's panel consisted of representatives from various CVBs in the DFW area including:
Jay Burress, President and CEO, Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau
Cassandra Matej, VP of Sales and Services, Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau
John Cychol, VP of Sales and Services, Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau
Bob McPherrin, Assistant Executive Director, Grapevine Convention and Visitors Bureau
Mark D. Thompson, VP of Marketing, Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau
Steven Foster, CMP, Circle R Ranch was our moderator

Some of the items discussed included the new Omni convention center hotel being constructed in Dallas, the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington as well as the implosion of Texas Stadium in Irving. Fort Worth discussed some of their upcoming development including their own new Omni hotel, Irving's new convention center currently under construction, some of the upcoming events in Grapevine, and the 2011 Super Bowl coming to our area. It was an informative discussion and a great opportunity to learn what was going on in our local hospitality industry, and what to expect in the coming years.

The Joule Hotel in Dallas was our host venue and they did an amazing job. A beautiful hotel to begin with, the event they created was even better. Their Black-Gold Ballroom was impressive - even with nearly 130 of us packed in the room. The food was just about perfect and highly rated by meeting attendees.

October's program had several sponsors. PSAV provided the A/V for the luncheon and they really outdid themselves. They provided a digital podium, something I've never seen, but stunning... and the music they played before and after the panel discussion provided the ideal ambience. LAZ provided complimentary valet and the wait time to get our cars was amazingly short. A job well done!

Be sure to register for next month's event, as it's our annual November Gala Luncheon and being held at the NYLO Las Colinas. We'll be installing our 2010 board of directors and announcing our award winners, including Facility of the Year, Distinguished General Manager of the Year, the HSAMI Horizon Award, Speaker of the Year, Distinguished Employer of the Year, the President's Award as well as recognizing our committee members from 2009. It’s HSMAI's "event of the year" and a can't-miss program!

The Luncheon is Thursday, November 12th from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at NYLO Las Colinas. 1001 W. Royal Lane in Irving. To RSVP, contact Jeanne Hatcher at Jeanne.hatcher@marriott.com or by calling 817.359.4612.

September 2009 Luncheon

The September luncheon at the W Hotel was a huge success and a full house. Our speaker, Tim Wackel, spoke about building relationships your competition can't steal - a timely topic in today's economy.

Tim has spoken at one of our HSMAI-DFW luncheons before and is one of our most popular and entertaining speakers, both with HSMAI and in the business world. Tim is the founder and president of The Wackel Group and holds a professional membership in the National Speakers Association. Last month's program, "Building Relationships Your Competition Can't Steal," explored the commitment and process necessary to develop trust and to create loyalty with your customers. It was an entertaining experience that everyone really enjoyed.

Our host venue, The W Hotel, put on an impressive show. The ballroom had amazing views overlooking downtown Dallas and the food was excellent. I'm certain such an amazing venue, no doubt, helped bring our attendance up to around 70 for the luncheon!

We also presented our donation to Equest Therapeutic Horsemanship, one of the beneficiaries from our annual fundraiser, The Chinese Auction. We also recognized our Chinese Auction Committee for all the hard work they did at our largest ever event at Cowboys Stadium in July. Thanks again to the committee members; they truly did an amazing job!

Be sure to come to next month's luncheon at the Joule Hotel on October 15th. It's our annual CVB panel and will offer some excellent insight into what will happen in our industry this coming year. Arlington, Dallas, Fort Worth, Grapevine and Irving CVBs will all be represented and discussing future projects in development, industry events, new hotels and redevelopment projects. I'm certain it will be enlightening and I look forward to seeing you there!