Smart Meetings | Blog

Virgin WiFi: A Review

Zac Dillon, Web editor — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Three of my favorite things are maps, traveling and the Internet. On my current Virgin America flight from SFO to DC, I have managed to combine all three of them (which is why you are able to read this right now). We recently told you about Google and Virgin offering free Wi-Fi for the holiday season, which sadly, doesn't start until next week, but I decided to splurge on the $12.95 so I could do a first-hand account of how the Internet performs (also, I want to look up things to do, since my friend kept saying "whatever" when I asked what I should see on my first trip to our nation's capital).

The sign-up process was very quick, and I was given the option of becoming a Gogo member (which I took). I checked my e-mail, and briefly G-chatted with associate editor Macie Schreibman, who is currently in Orange County seeing properties and doing research.

The Flash on the Smart Meetings homepage loaded with no problem, and Facebook came right up. A video on Youtube had a lot of lag, but according to my on-screen display, I'm flying at 35,159 feet, going 569 mph and it's -60 degrees outside my window, so I think that's pretty solid performance. (Technical speed reference: download 1.08 Mb/s (could do a 5 MB MP3 file in 38 seconds) and .21 Mb/s upload.)

I'm a firm believer that Internet in hotels should be free, but I don't mind the add-on fare for flights. I've never used it before, but should I ever need it again, I'm happy it's there.

According to the map on my little TV screen, we're crossing over Ferron, Utah, so I should start planning my trip around the various sights. But first of course, I'll post this.

Meeting Space?

Zac Dillon, Web editor — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Reuters reported this week that the first space hotel is on track to open in 2012. A Barcelona-based company called Galactic Suite Limited will, for the low price of $4 million, let you stay in their orbiting structure (which has yet to even begin construction) for three Earth nights. This price includes an intense eight-week space-skills training course on a tropical island, as well as roundtrip spacefare (on a shuttle that has also yet to be built) to and from the hotel.

It’s important, when booking space hotels, to clarify in the contract whether you’re paying for nights or Earth nights. Because the hotel orbits the world at tens of thousands of miles an hour guests get the opportunity to see 15 day-and-night cycles per 24-hour Earth day. If you’re paying per sunrise you see, those charges can add up quicker than a late-night mini-bar raid─and then you will have to go to small space claims court to haggle over the bill. And space arbitration is binding (and they usually side with space proprietors).

The company claims that 43 guests have already made reservations and 200 more have expressed an interest in staying. As soon as they invite us for a FAM trip, we’ll dedicate an entire year’s issues to it.

For a great graphic, check Reuters here.
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Our Own Smart Cowboy

Luc Troussieux, President — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Where does a 2,500 pound buffalo go? On Antelope Island, in the Great Salt Lake of Davis County Utah, the answer is anywhere it wants to go! I learned this when I experienced the cowboy version of running with the bulls this weekend—Fun, exciting with a bit of risk for those who wanted it.

A real cowboy and a bison protecting the herd. Tail up is not a good sign!

Antelope Island holds a 500-strong herd of genetically pure range bison. The herd is rounded up yearly for health checks by volunteer wranglers, including this one. I was doing fine on my horse and concentrating on keeping my heels down, head up and spine straight, thinking this was going to be easy when my host Barbara Riddle of the Davis CVB mentioned that bison are faster than the horses and can turn quicker as well! By that time it was too late to dismount and walk back to the barn, so off we went. It was an amazing site to see 150 cowboys rounding up a huge herd and getting them moving—especially when some of the bulls did not like the pace. We saw quite a few bison chasing away the riders who were having the time of their lives trying to keep the bison moving. After 13 miles, we were able to corral most of the herd and we picked up the stragglers the next day.

How does it relate to the meetings industry? It shows that Davis County, like many places, has unique opportunities if you dig a little, and that the CVB has the answers. It also shows that the Wild West is alive and (pardon the pun), kicking, and that this cowboy-for-a-day has lived out a boyhood fantasy.

Luc and his steed Samson, courtesy of R & G Horses. Notice all the pictures show the back of the buffalo as getting in front of the buffalo is asking for a, how can I say it…Have you seen the horns and the size of those necks!

One Spooky Tradition

Talia Salem, Assistant Editor — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

If you have ever been to Anaheim, Calif.’s Disneyland chances are that you have also explored the Haunted Mansion. I have visited this eerie and amusing attraction on every trip to the theme park and I always find a new feature every time I go. That’s probably because 999 ghosts live on the premises and it’s impossible to take in all of these elusive figures at once. As of August, the spooky spectacular has been creeping out the kiddies for the past 40 years. And here is a little info on the over-the-hill house and its history.

In 1961, Walt Disney started collecting the world’s greatest ghosts and the Haunted Mansion was built in New Orleans Square in 1969. The ghastly estate was modeled after a plantation house in Baltimore with elements from San Jose, Calif.’s Winchester Mystery house (which I visited a few months ago). Madame Leota (whose head floats in the crystal ball in the Séance Circle) was played by Eleanor Audley who later garnered international recognition as the wicked voice of Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty and Lady Tremaine in Cinderella. The four singing busts in the graveyard scene (toward the end of the ride) is one of the most popular features and the bass-vocal lead is sung by Thurl Ravenscroft, who is best known for his Tony the Tiger—it’s Grrrrreeeatttt! The attraction has expanded to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Toyko Disneyland Resort and its sister attraction Phantom Manor in Disneyland Paris. A new version of the Haunted Mansion will soon mysteriously appear in Hong Kong Disneyland.

As I am writing this (in my Jem and the Holograms costume), we here in the office are also in the haunted spirit. I have been researching haunted “mansions” of my own for December’s historic hotels feature—I found a few creepy stories that might keep me up at night. We had fun dressing up for Halloween at work today, see the picture above. The jury is still out on who won, but the competition is fierce.

The Traveling Foodie

Talia Salem, Assistant Editor — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

I have a love-hate relationship with airport food. I love trying new types of food (especially when I am on the road), but when I am in airports I generally hate the results. This genre of fast food is generally overpriced and overcooked, not to mention unhealthy and under seasoned. (Full disclosure: My dad was a chef and my mom was a nutritionist while I was growing up, so I have been accused of having a persnickety palate.) But for those road-warriors out there, I am sure you can commiserate, especially since eating at the airport pre-flight is an inevitability of our lives and professions.

The greasy quesadilla must be the official food of the airport because it is just about as ubiquitous as the TSA security checkpoints and just as satisfying. As is the fried, the frozen and prefabricated fare in transit kiosks. However, on a recent trip from San Francisco to Portland my en-route meals weren’t so bad. I ate fresh eats that were well-seasoned and cooked-to-order.

I flew out of the San Francisco International Airport, which was rated “Airport with the Best Restaurants” by Airport Revenue News’s 2009 Frequent Traveler Awards. This doesn’t surprise me as the airport is a natural extension of the über-foodie city that I call home, where the fresh and tasty reign supreme. At the Portland Airport, I ate at a local brewery and had a juicy burger and a garden salad, both of which were delicious.

In most cases you can’t control where you fly, so here are a few of my tips for eating well on the road:

Pay attention to the color and freshness of food. You could score a decent salad as long the lettuce doesn’t have a brown tinge—and remember to ask when it was made.
Ask a local. Many of the airport workers eat in the airport on a regular basis and will give you good recommendations. Asking a local has paid off for me countless times. The airport brewery recommendation in Portland was courtesy of a friendly TSA officer.
Go with local chains. The local restaurants in an area airport have most likely been very successful in their home city and because of their popularity can afford to expand to the airport.
Don’t get too creative, stick with more mainstream options. I don’t order seafood on the road when its origins are questionable, and I try to stick with uncomplicated dishes that can be easily executed.
Read nutrition facts. Many eateries are required to provide nutrition facts. This will help you to make healthier decisions when you have less control over your meals.
Get it to go. Avoid the bleak airport food scene altogether and grab something for the plane from the city. This, however, depends on the airport as some security checkpoints are more strict than others.