Dec. 10, 2008
7:03 p.m. Sitting in SFO’s domestic terminal is weird. I thought my flight was international. I was corrected of that by two men in uniform as I hurriedly ran around the International terminal just minutes ago…whew. Good thing I am one of what looks like 14 passengers on this Wednesday night flight to Richmond, B.C., Canada. Exact time from curbside drop-off to the seat I am sitting in now: 4 minutes. So, I may have put using my passport up to some high expectations—turns out it’s just like using an ID…sigh. So, the trip begins. I’m out of the office loaded with business cards, magazines and my itinerary for the next two days. Here I come, Richmond! And we’re off…

Dec. 11, 2008
10:35 p.m. Richmond, B.C. is gorgeous! We began the day at 7:30 a.m. and having recently returned to my room at the River Rock Casino Resort (amazing!) I feel both tired and excited. This morning began cold and a little weary due to a late arrival, but my mood quickly changed when I was greeted in my lobby and shuttled to the Radisson Hotel Vancouver Airport, which served us hot coffee and a great buffet breakfast. Afterward we took a look around the property, viewing meeting space, guest rooms and a business and fitness “centre.”



At 7 degrees Celsius (which I learned was actually 44 degrees Fahrenheit), my fellow members of the press and I returned to the car and went to check out the UBC Boathouse located on the dyke. It was a great venue for an event. Floor-to-ceiling windows looked out over the water and newly snow-capped mountains in the distance…it was stunning. We took part in the Drum Cafe (my favorite part of the day) where we all followed along to traditional African drum beats given to us by the master drummer. A local restaurant owner, members of Tourism Richmond, and the marketing director at River Rock Casino met us here and took part as we all learned (in the least cheesy way possible) that working together as a drum circle team, we could create wonderful music. It was a team-building experience that any size group would love.

The day included some local dining and another highlight was a tour of the Richmond Olympic Oval, the soon-to-be home of Speed Skating in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. The building is incredible to say the least, showcasing intricate artwork and a ceiling that is pretty hard to believe. (It’s made of salvaged wood from B.C.’s local forests that had been “destroyed” by their relentless pine beetles.)

The evening was hosted by The Fairmont Vancouver Airport hotel that was a breakaway from any ordinary airport property. We ate off of their catering menu to sample what future attendees could have a choice of and there were rave reviews across the table. Meeting space was geared for smaller to mid-size groups and plenty of amenities were offered for tired travelers, including completely sound-proof windows and high-tech guest rooms.

Dec. 12, 2008
8:05 a.m.  It’s snowing! As a Californian, this excites me to no end…

11:32 a.m. Turns out, no one here is as excited as I am about the snow. Seems that it’s not cold enough to “stick,” so it has now turned everything outside to mush. It still looks pretty to me. I think I’m alone on this one, however.

9:15 p.m. We just finished a delicious meal at a local Chinese restaurant, Gingeri, which was a wonderful group dining option. The day was great… a little wet and cold… but great. Among the highlights was a team-building activity, Flight Adventures. I took part in the experience by flying out of the Austria airport in a light snow. (Okay, fine. It was a simulation but it was very real!) With graphics of the actual flight path that pilots take, my take-off was okay aside from nearly hitting a mountain or two, but I didn’t and that’s the important part. The landing was a little more disastrous, however when I missed the runway and instead landed us on the grass near the terminal. No one was hurt. Still – a unique option for team building.

Another memorable experience this evening was taking part in the official opening ceremonies of the Richmond Olympic Oval. We entered “backstage” and were escorted to media seats to look out at speeches made by major leaders in the community. We also heard from six-time Olympic medalist, Cindy Klassen and Olympic rower Kyle Hamilton. The ceremony included dancers, singers (I got to partake in a singing of “O Canada”!) and the Canadian national speed skating team leading other community members around the first lap on the Olympic ice. The facility will serve as a public resource pre- and post-Olympics, complete with a fitness center, public skating, exercise courses and the like. It is truly an exceptional piece of architecture and may also have some meeting space available in the future.

Dec. 13, 2008
1:45 p.m. After checking out of the River Rock, I find myself back at the airport. I have been pleasantly surprised at what Richmond has to offer meeting planners and visitors alike. Aside from the flexible meeting space and upgraded guest rooms, the city has a sense of community that is hard to miss. People from each venue we saw knew our hosts and each one also mentioned their ability to work with other properties, catering companies, etc. in the hosting of a large group or group that needed something out of the ordinary. I am leaving with a successful trip under my belt.