The International Association of Conference Centers has proven to be an important part of the Millennium Broadway Hotel New York's success in one of America's most competitive meetings market. Dianne Pepe, director of group sales, tells us why. With meeting planners, corporations and association executives increasingly savvy about spending tight budgets on meetings, it's the strong value that an IACC-accredited conference center can offer that Dianne tells us is the key and the Millennium Broadway Hotel New York just happens to be the only accredited hotel and conference center in New York City. READ MORE

Omni Hotels & Resorts chief marketing officer and senior vice president of sales Tom Santora shares insights on the ever-expanding relationship between hoteliers and planners. As an hotelier with 25 years of experience, Santora's insights focus on culinary innovation, customization and tailored technology that meet the needs of clients for an overall attendee experience, reaching beyond the meeting room to make the difference for hotel conferences in 2013. READ MORE

This year's Super Bowl, Olympics and political conventions-all mega events in their own right, have put the spotlight on whether hotels in the host cities were ready to meet the technology needs of the onslaught of tens of thousands of "connected guests". While these events were a boon for those hotels that reaped the business, they also provided a much needed readiness test that hotels around the country can benefit from. Now is the time to assess and determine: Is your current wireless infrastructure sufficient to accommodate changing guest needs and perhaps, the next mega event? READ MORE

It looks like eighty percent of US business and leisure travelers are willing, nay, even anxious, to receive a discount on their room (or from this study, 1000 additional loyalty points) in exchange for not receiving daily housekeeping service. This is the extreme bottom line finding of a survey we conducted of US travelers that stay in hotels. The study was conducted in response to a below-the-radar emerging trend of offering travelers benefits in exchange for foregoing housekeeping. READ MORE

As we approach the 80th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition, the ratification of the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and the states' establishment of what is known as the “three-tier system” for the sale and distribution of beverage alcohol, the federal courts and state legislatures continue to grapple with the issues arising from a 21st century industry operating within an early 20th century distribution system. In particular, while the U.S. Supreme Court's 2005 landmark decision in Granholm v. Heald provided substantive directives and substantial guidance concerning the constitutional issues surrounding “direct shipping,” Granholm also spawned controversial legislative initiatives and further litigation addressing its scope and meaning. READ MORE