M&C, Perfection in Planning!

M&C magazine is the definitive resource for meetings industry news featuring issues and trends, practical how-to features and destination guides for more than 70,000 meeting professionals who plan and book over one million meetings annually. Monthly, 13 issues per year (including the annual Gavel issue).

Since 1965, Meetings & Conventions magazine has been helping meeting and event planners in corporations, associations, incentive houses and independent planning companies excel at their jobs and effectively manage their careers.

In our award-winning monthly print publication and here at M&C Online, we offer in-depth features, informative columns, destination insights, news analysis, original research and much more. And, our new, improved website offers additional tools: an articles archive, a powerful facility search engine, breaking news and other helpful features -- literally at your fingertips.

Features:

52 ON THE COVER: Hotel Service Charges
The service charge hotels impose on group food-and-beverage events is growing — as high as 25 percent at some properties. While some planners blame simple greed, the reasons for charges vary from chain to chain. Here’s an in-depth look behind the levy.

43 Going the Distance
Savvy cities across the country are using sports as the catalyst to attract meetings and conventions of all stripes. This special report reveals how well Atlanta, Charlotte (N.C.), Indianapolis and Salt Lake City have learned how to play the game.

59 Star Crossed
Planners who use ratings to help them evaluate a hotel face an often conflicting array of stars, diamonds, “owls” and more from Mobil Travel Guide, AAA and other sources. M&C cuts through all the “smiley faces” to explain the different systems and offer a way to reconcile the varied appraisals.

69 Gaylord’s Way
With its everything-under-one-roof philosophy, Gaylord Hotels already plowed a distinctive swath through the hospitality industry. Now, the Nashville-based company wants to up its meetings ante with a new generation of convention hotels that will let planners hopscotch the country without changing brands.

75 Shipping News
There’s more girth to the berth as cruise lines debut ever-bigger ships with ever-more luxe attractions. Here’s a guide to some of the ritziest, glitziest vessels ever to set sail.

79 Meet the Metaverse
Virtual events have come a long way since those primitive days of two or three years ago. Welcome to a strange new galaxy of “inworld” meetings, floating 3-D avatars and virtual trade show floors geared to revolutionize the way we interact on screen.

View Meeting & Convention Magazine, May 2008

Full & free, powered by Texterity.

Click the "Download" button, you can download the entire magazine.

Download Meeting & Convention Magazine, May 2008

PDF format, 49MB, 188 Pages.

MY BACK PAGES

Fifteen years ago this month, I sat down to write my first Editor’s Podium for this magazine. Now, I’m looking at that column as I write this one. The young woman in the photo looks excited, happy to be on the page and just a tad nervous.

In that first column I attempted to set the tone for my tenure here, to share with readers what I hoped to achieve, tell them what the magazine would teach them. But I had it backward: It’s you who taught us.

From Hong Kong to Paris, Jacksonville to Juneau, we’ve learned about your successes, failures, motivators and frustrations. I’ve heard stories that have doubled me over with laughter and others that made me blink through tears. Most of all, I’ve learned and been inspired by the generosity of industry professionals who so willingly share their know-how with peers, and that is the core of our mission here in print and online at mcmag.com.

When I started this job, the Internet was in its infancy. One hotel advertiser was touting its new in-room voicemail services. Letters to the editor discussed smoking in the meeting rooms. The average room rate in Manhattan was $127. How things have changed.

Or not. Planners complained about budgets, service levels and getting recognition from their superiors. Attorney Jonathan Howe, the most respected name in legal issues in the meetings and hospitality industries, penned a column for us, just as he does now. Planners hungered for creative theme ideas and ways to please F&B-savvy attendees. They worried about rising gas prices, too.

In that first column, I wrote, “Each new meeting, like each new issue of a magazine, is a fresh start, a chance to work with new people and to try out new ideas.” After 15 years, I’m still happy to welcome you to the ever-replenishing, ever-enlightening adventure called M&C.

LORI CIOFFI
EDITOR IN CHIEF

Visit Meeting & Convention Magazine Official Web Site

Meetings & Conventions and M&C Online are products of NORTHSTAR Travel Media, LLC.

Comments (0)

Name

Email

Comment

smaller | bigger

Add Comment