In today's political climate, taking strong stands can work for or against a business, just as it can for a Hollywood celebrity. While many consumers embrace brands that hold activist positions, there is an equal and opposite reaction for others. If you are a hotel brand, is corporate activism a good idea? This article will examine the arguments for and against it, including examples of hotel companies choosing to lead the charge – and four ways to consider taking action that could add value to your brand. READ MORE

Wildfires have wreaked havoc out West in recent years, threatening California's wine country and other northern towns, as well as Los Angeles and its suburbs. While ensuring personal safety is the first priority after wildfires, a subsequent step should include exploring what a homeowner or in this case, hotel owner, can do to best handle a future wildfire situation. In this article, we'll discuss how hotels impacted by wildfires can take steps to deter damage and get their businesses back up and running. This could include starting up air handling equipment or bringing systems back on-line, among other things. READ MORE

Meetings planners constantly up the ante with exciting conference destinations, utilizing memorable venues such as zoos, museums and outdoor locations. These uncommon venues pose a unique challenge: that of bringing must-have internet connectivity to these extraordinary locations. Wi-Fi is the way to bring in internet quickly, at reasonable cost, and with minimal effort. This article will discuss bringing a carrier class guest Wi-Fi experience to even the most uncommon of destinations. It will cover how to pop-up temporary Wi-Fi services, with and without existing Wi-Fi infrastructure, what It takes to provide "Wi-Fi in a box," and how to leverage Wi-Fi for loyalty and marketing purposes. READ MORE

Market conditions impact our planners tasked to make decisions on destinations for future meetings and events. Taking a strategic look into the cycle to source and confirm the right venue to host your program we explore best practices to find availability in first tier destinations, what to look for when you cannot find availability in your destination of choice, and other costs and concerns driven by the market to be mindful of when sourcing an upcoming program. These practices have proven results navigating the uncertain market conditions of today and the future and could set your programs up for success. READ MORE

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not just a trend, but a common business value. For over a decade, major corporations have implemented CSR initiatives focused on sustainable practices, ethical business, investment in the community, health and wellbeing of employees and general philosophies about being good citizens of the planet. For events, CSR appears in various formats like incorporating sustainable practices of going paperless or having water stations instead of plastic bottles or volunteer projects like supporting a local charity. These initiatives play a role in venue selection and offer opportunities to use non-traditional space as part of a meeting or conference. READ MORE