The Future is Almost Here

I came back to Lexington a little more than four years ago after being gone for some 20 years. What I found surprised me. The little old convention center was brand new and certainly not little any longer. It looked more like very nice hotel convention space with all the latest technology. The layout is well thought out and is very workable yet very flexable. It has the second largest ballroom in the state of Kentucky (18,000 sqft). And the interior design is quite sophisticated.


I also found something else that surprised me. The Hyatt Regency Lexington and the Radisson Hotel had not changed in the last 20 some years. Unless you call decomposing a change. As I looked around at the convention package I had been charged to sell, I started to pray for two hotels that match the quality of the center. Somebody answered my prayers.


The Hyatt Regency is just wraping up a $32Million renovation and it looks FABULOUS. This is a view of the lobby and certainly conveys a warm sense of arrival.




















The Radisson has made an even bolder move. In addition to a $16M renovation, the are changing flags. Later this summer they will officially become a Hilton Hotel! They are currently part of the Hilton organization (reservation system and HiltonHonors).



The interior work is underway and the public space will rival the Hyatt Regency and the Lexington Convention Center. The picture below is a 20 panal photo by Doug Prather and will change 4 times a year (seasonally). It is located on the convention floor landing, just above the lobby.

As more work gets completed at the "Soon To Be Hilton" I'll pass pics along. In the meantime, you better reserve your space at the Hyatt, Hilton and Center before dates are all GONE!

Off Message but on Task

I fully understand the premise of this blog, but I seemingly need to digress. In preperation to the games, I have felt the need to upgrade the way I (we) view competetive events from the luxury of my (our) home . . . what I am saying is, I (we) finally pulled the trigger on a big screen tv. . Now, I am not one to fool around and I didn't this time. I did an enormous amount of research and decided on a Panasonic 46" HD Plasma (TC-P46G10). The local retail outlets are not going to carry this model so I ordered from Critchfield (critchfield.com). Great price, no tax, free delivery by two guys who brought into house, set up and took packing away. Perfect.

Blu-Ray also needed to be part of the package and I (we) bought one, too.

Please pay attention now because this is the entire point of this article.

If you are to connect all the components correctly to ensure the very highest quality picture and sound, conventional advertising says you should pay up to $100 per cable (I needed 2 HDMI and 2 Fiber optic cables) in addition to the normal speaker wires.

But hold on there. The reviewers at cnet.com said "we strongly recommends cheap HDMI cables widely available from online retailers instead of the expensive counterparts sold in your local electronics store". They went on to refer me to monoprice.com where I place an order for the 4 cables and they cost $5.77 each and were in my mailbox 2 days later.

So what's my point? I don't have one other than I love my new TV.

One Down!

The first test of the Kentucky Horse Park was a resounding success. The brand new Outdoor Arena was amazing. The participants were unanimous in their praise of the footing. Superior was the least of the adjectives.

Australian rider Lucinda Fredericks on Headley Britannia was the eventual victor after a flawless ride in the stadium jumping. A standing room crowd of over 16,000 watched as Bettina Hoy of Germany came in second and Buck Davidson, the only American in the top 5, on board My Boy Bobby, finished third.

The cross-country element on Saturday saw more than 40,000 spectators on a near perfect day.

19 International Federations were on hand to witness how the KHP fared for this first event in the new stadium. If you ask me, they passed with flying colors!

Ready, Set, Go!

Keeneland's spring meet ends on Friday. That means the Rolex Three Day Event,the only 4 Star equestrian event in North America, starts Thursday and the new outdoor arena gets dedicated on Wednesday afternoon. Wow, what a week.
We were given a private tour of the new Outdoor Arena and the new Indoor Arena last week and The Bluegrass and the entire Commonwealth should be very proud. They are spectacular to say the least. I am sure the total investment in the park sounds excessive but we will be reaping the benefits for years. This isn't just about the world Equestrian Games, its about a legacy. But in the meantime-go to Rolex-you've got to be there!

Spotlight Lexington Festival

The world is coming to Lexington in just 18 short months ( a long month?). Thousands and thousands of people will be here with freshly minted cash! Perfect! Nothing beats a recession or depression like thousands of visitors with money to spend. That's a stimulus package.

The festival will begin September 24 and end on October 10. Each day the festival will host activities at three vacations; Courthouse Plaza, Triangle Park and Cheapside Park. Medal ceremonies will be held each evening and all competitions can be seen on a jumbo screen located at Courthouse Plaza.

Of course, no real festival can exist without branded merchandise and all kinds of merchandise will be available soon. Stay tuned for more info on where to buy.

The most promising aspect of the festival is the willingness for it to become an annual event. Hear, Hear. More great festivals are a good thing! Legacy events are measured on what remains after the event is over. This should only increase the legacy.

Post Holiday Blues(?)

Wow-they're over. 'nuf said.

I know this isn't about Lexington, but you have to love Roland Burris. The newly appointed Junior Senator from Illinois. He's going to Washington no matter what. He left yesterday and, bless his heart, flew Southwest on his own dime. Regularly elected officials should take note.

And what about the BCS. The Utes can't ever be #1 since they are not in the correct conference. They'll be lucky to be ranked #3. Come on Obama. Withhold some cash from BCS schools till they see the folly of a no playoff system.

Sunday starts the 43rd Annual Meeting of PCMA! It will be my 16th since 1992. I have missed only Nashville, San Francisco and Boston. This will be the fourth time NOLA has hosted the event. Side discussions should prove to be interesting. The economy and a new administration will definitely enhance the usually boring sessions. That's not a slam on the sessions. Everyone knows we attend PCMA for the other conversations we find ourselves in. One of the most productive moments for me was when I butted in on Bob Battel and Mickie Schaeffer and their discussion of the Certified Ambassador Program, which we later adopted. Thanks Mickie!

Congrats go out to my sales team. They exceeded their stretch goal for 2008 and set an all time booking record. Way to Go!!! I hope they are ready for their 2009 goals . . .

Christmas in Chicago

Every midwest meeting planner is familiar with "Holiday Showcase". I had not attended in several (that is 10) years as tradeshows have nearly detroyed my back. Since I was going to be in Chicago anyway, and in an effort to save the bureau some money, I volunteered this year.



OUCH! But not my back. I took my wife, Maxine, along. Now don't get me wrong. She is great with customers and really knows our business. But shopping on Michigan Ave in December can really hurt. For some reason the term "recession" means nothing to her. The only upside is some of that pain may find its way under the Christmas tree with my name on the tag. I can only hope.



I had forgotten what Holiday Showcase really had become. It is the perfect opportunity for meeting planners and or their office staffs, to shop for thier grandkids. Not to mention hoteliers and bureau reps begging for swag for their kids. When I was just a rookie sales manager for a major hotel chain, I think I remember actually doing a little business.



Do you know what else I noticed? Where did the 20 something sales reps go? Everyone seemed older. Less hair. More mature. Wiser. My kind of people. I liked it.



Maybe doing business is too highly regarded. I don't think I will give anything away next year. But I will have wine. Lots of wine. Lets just have fun next year.