Smart Meetings

It’s day 1 of the Palm Springs International Film Festival 2008 Client Event, and it could not have come at a better time—I’m currently at SFO, watching every flight on the reader board either get canceled or delayed as the first of three back-to-back storms pummels the San Francisco Bay Area. So far my flight is only three hours delayed, but I’m crossing my fingers that it’s not canceled; I don’t want to miss all the wonderful things the folks at the Palm Springs Convention Center have in store for us over the next three days, particularly the Palm Springs International Film Festival awards gala…

After arriving late in Palm Springs last night, it was a relief to finally make it to my host hotel, the Hilton Palm Springs. The California storms have even managed to permeate into the desert and we are experiencing one of the rare days here when it isn’t perfect blue skies. Tonight I join a group of about 30 planners from all over the U.S. for a progressive dinner and tour of some of the primary downtown Palm Springs hotels— Wyndham Palm Springs Hotel, Hyatt Regency Suites Palm Springs, Hotel Zoso and the upcoming Riviera Resort & Spa.

We’re here at the Parker Palm Springs—truly the hippest hotel in the desert—and I’m chatting with one of the planners about the wonderful outdoor space the Parker has: winding lawns interspersed with gardens, random hammocks and even a croquet setup. In the last hour, several Hollywood stars have strolled by, but no one seems to really care.

Earlier we toured the brand-new Holiday Inn Palm Springs-City Center. With flat-screen TVs in the rooms, stylish décor and a beautiful inner courtyard, it is easily the most impressive Holiday Inn I have ever seen. But, as so many hotels and resorts here are constantly upgrading to the latest and greatest, it is not a big surprise.

Throughout Palm Springs, there is an ironic mood that pervades the resorts and the public areas—a constant level of energy and excitement mixed with a sense of relaxation. It is a bit like L.A., but much more peaceful.

****

There’s nothing like pulling up in a limo to the deafening roar of hundreds of screaming fans, only for it to quickly die down when you step out of the car and they realize you aren’t John Travolta. Still, it was a magical experience to walk down the red carpet at the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala—blinded by the camera flashes and flood lights—and still maintain composure. Inside, the Convention Center looks great, with multiple bar setups, ice sculptures and elegant yet simple table setups. Within the first half hour I have been introduced to the mayor and the entire city council, all extremely nice people. Everyone says the city government really does out of its way to help draw meetings and events to Palm Springs, and it appears to be working. One of the planners, Lori Wolking, with the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association, brings the largest group to Palm Springs the city ever hosts, with more than 10,000 attendees (see Palm Springs, in the February issue of Smart Meetings).

I’m flying home after an ideal four-day press trip in Palm Springs, hosted by the Rancho Las Palmas resort, which just emerged from a $20-million renovation. It was perfect Palm Springs weather, about 77 degrees, making it all the more difficult to board the plane back to the February rains of San Francisco.

While Director of Marketing Communications Josh Herman and Director of Sales Dan Keyser made sure we experienced all that the made-over resort had to offer—27 holes of golf, the spa, the brand-new Splashtopia water park, BluEmber restaurant and completely renovated guest rooms, they also gave us plenty of free time to explore the resort on our own­—important for experiencing the place the way a guest would.

Last night I found myself surrounded by a party of about 40 from Cox Communications, based in San Diego. They were living it up at the bar on the last night of an incentive trip for their top producers. I asked the planner in charge of the group why she chose Rancho Las Palmas; she said she was really impressed by what they had done with their renovation, and she simply liked the feel of the place.

There were plenty of other guests enjoying the long Presidents’ Day weekend as well—every room was booked solid and the outdoor grounds and pool were constantly filled with an ensemble of families and couples, and golfers taking a break between holes.

Although it is a family-friendly resort, the main attraction for kids —Splashtopia—is separated from the main grounds, allowing guests without kids to enjoy the restaurant and adult pool (called Serenity) without feeling like they are at Disneyland.

Splashtopia is surrounded by guest rooms—almost exclusively occupied by families—and features its own casual café as well as several life guards, so parents can relax in the sun as well.

If you want to keep up with what’s happening in Palm Springs, you’ll need a calculator. There’s a major renaissance under way, and a buzz that just keeps growing. So does the price tag—$1 billion and counting—in new and renovated properties.

I recently visited the desert resort area for a first-hand look at what is behind the buzz—and came away energized by the excitement. Touring in balmy 75 degree weather, with a light breeze, didn’t hurt either!

Throughout the Coachella Valley, there are myriad renovations both under way and recently completed, plus new builds, that are making the area an even more fabulous meetings destination. In fact, says Rob Enriquez, senior vice president of sales and marketing for the Palm Springs Desert Resorts CVA, if you haven’t visited Palm Springs in the past two years, you won’t believe the dramatic changes.

First, there’s the newly renovated Palm Springs Convention Center, which has a fresh contemporary look that gives it a sense of place, with desert hues and details that echo the mountain geology just outside its windows.

Hospitality upgrades run the gamut—from spa, villa, golf course, meeting space or public area renovations at locations such as Rancho Las Palmas, Riviera Resort and Renaissance Esmeralda to brand new properties such as Embassy Suites La Quinta and a breathtaking Ritz-Carlton in progress. And numerous other properties, like Hard Rock and Mondrian, are in the planning stage.

On top of these are some largely undiscovered event spaces, like the Empire Polo Club, which offers a surprising number of interior and exterior venues—plus polo fields where you can even arrange a demonstration polo match for your attendees, complete with champagne.

My home-away-from-home was Desert Springs, A JW Marriott Resort and Spa, with a newly redesigned atrium Lobby Bar area that was a hugely happening place on Friday night and a place to relax during the day. Gondolas are moored nearby for a tour around the lake.

The Palm Springs Desert Resorts CVA—which represents the eight desert cities of Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage—is the point of contact if you’re considering a Palm Springs meeting. They’ve got their finger on the rapidly expanding pulse.