Big things are happening in Sundusky, Ohio.

The Kalahari Resorts broke ground on an unprecedented $22 million expansion that will double the size of its convention center and increase its meeting capacity from 2,200 to 5,200 attendees.

To accommodate this increase the 120,000-square-foot addition will include a 38,000-square-foot grand ballroom / expo center, a 12,000-square-foot junior ballroom, 14 meeting rooms, a 4,000-square-foot themed outdoor plaza connected to an indoor ballroom and 30,000 square feet of pre-function space. Meeting planners will also appreciate smart design elements, such as electronically lockable built-in bars and registration areas, as well as added warming kitchens in key areas to enhance food and beverage service options.

“This expansion further demonstrates our commitment to building a premier meeting and convention venue in Northeast Ohio,” says Todd Nelson, president and owner of Kalahari Resorts.

The aim is not directed at making a mark on Ohio only. This project will turn the resort into one of its kind in Midwest, bridging the convention center and Kalahari Resort under one roof.

Fun fact: not only is Kalahari Resorts African themed, it is also  home to the America’s largest indoor watermark at 173,000 square feet.

Imagine planning your next event at the location everyone wants to visit. That’s what will happen when you choose to meet in Miami. Our inspiration comes from a convergence of cultures, and we’ve got every amenity your audiences are looking forward to.

Beautiful beaches, world-class shopping, the most talked about hotels, the hippest clubs, the latest restaurants. Places to see and be seen and hidden places to just sit quietly and catch your breath.

The newest state-of-the-art performing arts center in the Americas anchors the city’s bustling downtown. And the Frank Gehry-designed home of Miami’s New World Symphony includes the Miami Beach Soundscape where concertgoers watch the symphony al fresco. Best, this amazing new venue is directly across the street from the 650,000+ square foot Miami Beach Convention Center.

When its time for sports, there’s more to do in Miami than most anywhere else. The area hosts teams for all four major league sports (the Dolphins, the Miami Marlins, the Heat and the Panthers), Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, and the World Gulf Championship-Cadillac Championship at Doral. Plus, the Miami Marlins now have a new first-class baseball stadium to call home.

Waterskiing, kayaking, windsurfing, diving, kite surfing and jet skiing are available most anywhere along the Atlantic Ocean or Biscayne Bay. And along with all the glamour, Miami-Dade features two national parks – the Biscayne National Preserve and Everglades National Park — as well as acres of unspoiled tropical green space — for fascinating new off-site venues.

Our location has all the accommodations you need.

Miami is chock-full of new hotels…46,365 guest rooms to be exact. Our grand dames have been face-lifted with billions of dollars of renovations and joined by scores of brand-new hotels flying famous flags. And, of course, South Beach is the home of the world’s largest collection of restored Art Deco, Art Nouveau, and cutting-edge boutique hotels.

In the last year, newly arrived standout restaurants have opened next door to our international superstars and Miami’s own world-renowned homegrown classics, increasing our total to 5,000 plus. Almost every corner hosts another ethnic favorite, trendy late scene spot or neighborhood haunt.

Getting to our location.

When it comes to coming and going, no destination has invested more on transportation than Miami. Miami International Airport boasts new terminals and a recently installed high-speed train to whisk travelers from plane to baggage claim and to MIA’s new intermodal center where your group will find rental cars, taxis and limos, and public transportation all in one convenient place.

Miami is the tropical American city that’s constantly reinventing itself. And when you’re looking for the location for your next meeting, Miami’s the place you’re looking for.

Everything’s coming up roses for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. With aggressive –25 new hotels to be exact — expansion  on the horizon, this hotel group’s future is looking stellar. Olivier Bonke, senior vice president of sales & marketing, shares with Prevue what sets Starwood apart, especially on the European market.

Prevue: What is the overall trend for European meetings/incentives from the US market heading into the second half of 2012?

Olivier Bonke: We see improving business trends in our key European markets, especially in Germany, the UK and early signs of pick-up in Italy. Despite a slow recovery, current occupancies at our hotels in Europe are only 100 bps below peak 2008 levels, excluding Greece. We expect the European recession to be shallow as some economic forecasters are now predicting. As such, we are more confident today that business in Europe in the second half of 2012 will be better than the first half of the year. Europe remains a global travel destination from source markets around the world, especially the US. Companies are profitable and in great financial shape. For the US market, cities like Paris, London, Rome and Dubai remain at positive bookings levels throughout the entire year. Booking windows are also returning back to normal.

Starwood attracts corporate groups to destinations in Europe especially through newly opened or re-opened flagship properties such as the Le Méridien Istanbul, Turkey and the W Paris-Opéra, France and the W London-Leicester Square, UK. Another great example is the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh which just re-opened after a multi-million dollar renovation. The hotel is now Edinburgh’s newest five star hotel and offers fully refurbished guest rooms, more than 1,400sqm of meeting and event space as well as a new restaurant and bar. These facilities perfectly cater to the needs of global corporate accounts, either for incentive travel or meetings.

P: How do you promote the Luxury Collection Hotels to US groups? Are they well known to US planners?  

OB: The Luxury Collection is an ensemble of hotels and resorts offering unique, authentic experiences in the world’s most exciting and desirable destinations. These hotels are icons in their space, such as the Gritti Palace in Venice, Italy and the Hotel Prince de Galles in Paris, France — both of which are currently undergoing major restoration — the Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville, Spain which just re-opened this spring, and the landmark Hotel Imperial in Vienna, Austria. Unlike other independent luxury hotels, meeting planners benefit from the emblematic status of Luxury Collection hotels and the reliability and consistency of service and products for which Starwood is known. In addition, we are offering an attractive program to our meeting planners called “Starwood Preferred Planner.” Members of the Starwood Preferred Planner program can earn Starpoints which can then be redeemed by meeting planners for business purposes or their own pleasure.

P: What does Starwood bring to Central and Eastern Europe for US groups?

OB: Starwood hotels in East and Central Europe offer US groups the same reliability, service and assistance with the planning of meetings and incentives which they have come to expect in other Starwood hotels in destinations around the world. Easily reached via direct flights from the US, destinations such as Moscow, Istanbul, Athens, Vienna, Munich, and Frankfurt boast Starwood hotels which cater to the needs of US corporate and incentive travellers with regard to meeting facilities and leisure activities. Starwood’s growth in Europe is being accelerated by a focus on key fast-growing markets, including Russia, Ukraine and Turkey. Starwood will double its portfolio in Russia and Ukraine by 2014 with openings in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, Perm and Kiev. In Turkey, Starwood is expanding its pipeline aggressively with four new hotels opening in a three-year period, including the recent debut of Le Méridien Istanbul Etiler, marking the brand’s entrance into the country. With that, Starwood will operate 10 hotels in Turkey under five of its nine distinct brands.

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