Add some chocolate, wine and tea to your next break

ScienceDaily (2008-12-24) -- All that chocolate might actually help finish the bumper Christmas crossword over the seasonal period. According to Oxford researchers working with colleagues in Norway, chocolate, wine and tea enhance cognitive performance. Read more at the Meeting Support Institute.

Interesting Info from Meeting Support Institute

ROI is History- Elling Hamso, Managing Partner of European Event ROI Institute has recently published the article 'ROI is History - How to Survive a Recession'. You may read it on www.meetingsreview.com/roiishistory or download in pdf format from www.eventroi.org/roiishistory.pdf. The article explains the close connection between Meeting Architecture and the ROI Methodology and how the two concepts when applied together can be a very powerful way of securing event budgets in times of recession. If you want to learn more, sign up for one of nearly 40 one-day ROI courses in the spring programme on www.eventroi.org. Readers of Meeting Support Institute newsletter receive EUR 100 discount on the course fee (promotion code 'msireader').

Refreshing Belize Eco-Experience

There is a new rainforest treetop lodge in Belize that is raising the bar on canopy experiences in the southern part of the country. Located in a very remote part of Belize, this place offers caving, mountain biking, day and nighttime safaris, and guided tours of archaeological sites. They even stayed true to the eco movement by utilizing eco-smart vehicles for your transfers to this 12 treehouse retreat. You can even join an archaeological snorkeling trip to ancient Mayan sites. Have you seen the power of allowing your team members to engage in the experience of a lifetime? Ask your destination advisor about Machaca Hill Rainforest Canopy Lodge.

Promote Health and Wellness

In these challenging economic times which place so much pressure on meeting professionals to present the most effective experiences possible, take time to focus on rejuvenating your champions. Health and Wellness is at the core of many corporate cultures as well as a top priority of many Human Resource Directors and Chief Learning Officers. A well presented destination wellness program can offer incredible results. Aligned with your program objectives and content, an inspiring and cleansing environment can be very motivating and energizing to your team members. Program themes may include such topics as "Building growth from within ourselves" "The power of alignment" "Growth, personal and professional". Destination spas, wellness retreats, fitness classes, and even healthy culinary experiences offer guests the opportunity to slow down, focus, and most of all energize their spirit. Some great destination experiences that you may want to consider include; -Rancho La Puerta-Located just over the border south of San Diego, this extraordinary wellness experiences offers the absolute best in destination spa services and accommodations. -Canyon Ranch in Lenox- a powerhouse in the spa world, Canyon Ranch has come to be recognized as the best of the best. This location in the heart of the Northeast provides great access without the high cost of airfare. -Coastal Trek Health and Fitness- With easy access from Vancouver this wellness retreat on Victoria Island offers a wonderful Pacific Northwest outdoor experience which is wonderful for those motivated by nature. -Lake Austin Spa Resort- In the heart of Texas, this destination experience offers an all around exceptional environment that makes you feel as though you are away from everything. There are many many great locations and experiences at each destination. Sometimes you can even bring the experience to your team by offering a day spa getaway from the office or a special fitness class that's integrated with a learning topic. Bottom line, focus on motivating your employees spirit and good things will result.

Quaint Coastal Meetings

With everyone trying to stay out of the PR spotlight as being seen as the organization that is "over spending" on luxury meeting and event products, now is the perfect time to focus your strength on small hotels and inns that might offer extraordinary settings and experiences for your guests. You can create fantastic small group incentive options at many coastal inns that you may not even heard of during previous searches. Incentives and Client Entertaining take on a much more personal and intimate setting at these coastal hidden gems. The Chanler Inn at Cliff Walk is a great setting, situated on a hilltop overlooking the Newport Rhode Island harbor. 20 rooms have exceptional furnishings and incredible service, they even have a bath butler!! Although their focus is primarily weddings, they have some great indoor/outdoor areas for meetings. Another great option in the Northeast are the Cottages at the Boat Basin in Nantucket, MA. The cottages offer the dream New England fishing village setting. Take a step back in time with all the luxuries of a major resort including access to a great spa, the White Elephant, located just next store. It is a wonderful break from reality with some great sightseeing and beach options. The Sanderling Resort and Spa, Duck NC is a fantastic beachside option in the outer banks. The Inn has received many great accolades along the way and their conference center was listed by Successful Meetings as one of the top 30 in America. Slow paced, unbelievable beaches, and time with friends and family make this a great option. There's also many great options out west including California, Oregon, and Washington coast as well as British Columbia and Alaska. Little Hotel by the sea in La Jolla and Cannon Beach Hotel in Oregon are a couple of good options. A hidden gem in the great lakes region is the Hotel Burnham in Chicago. Just a short walk from lake Michigan, this downtown Kimpton Hotel offers a step back in time to the 30's style interior brushed with modern luxuries. It's Great!! If you're heading down south try the Hacienda San Angel outside of Puerto Vallarta Mexico. Real Mexico experiences without all the glitz and glam. This is a location your guests will never forget with the charm of old world Mexico mixed with everything luxury you can imagine. La Samanna, St. Martin French West Indies provides an extraordinary exotic beach destination in a small setting. Private plunge pools, award winning wine cellar, and an exceptional spa make this a truly impressive experience. There are many great locations, I encourage you to search harder than ever before to find something different. Employees appreciate uniqueness, and clients want something different and extraordinary. A couple of great resources that you may not be thinking of- Coastal Living and Garden and Gun Magazine. They always have unique inns listed.

Strategic Event Themes

One of the challenges that many Meeting Professionals have is translating business objectives into actual on site meeting and event experiences. It seems that many organizations, especially in this tough economy, are spending extra time focusing on pre-event strategy. Why are we having this event, who should be attending, what will we spend, where will it be located, are all great pre-event strategy questions to help define your overall parameters. Where the ball gets dropped is when you have done all of this work on the front end and received the thumbs up from the management team, but the logistical components don't carry the same amount of strategic planning. One idea is to be more creative with the theming of your receptions and evening events. Gone are the days of broadcast dinners where everyone sits and listens and boring awards are given out. Throw out the 1 hour presentation by the CEO with the graphs and ridiculous slides that makes everyone nod like machines. Don't bother with the "fire and Ice" "Black and White ball" "roaring twenties" or "disco boogie". Look within your strategic event plan to uncover ideas for theming. Select colors that represent your companies brand and culture. Focus on organizational core values such as leadership, growth, and community responsibility and present a theme that emulates these emotions. Plan an interactive experience where guests are encouraged to learn about topics and receive praise for their continued efforts and support. Expanding into globalization, emphasize regional areas of growth. Incentivize employees, emphasize departments and champions by providing bios, pictures, or maybe even letting departments create individual theme options to be displayed. Client events, focus on solutions and experiences that represent who you are. Don't simply entertain and hope for the best, take the time to translate your strategy into living breathing event experiences that allow attendees to grow.