Meetings With Zest

Although Ventura, Calif., is known for its spectacular coastline and contemporary downtown surrounding Mission San Buenaventura, the city’s heart and soul lies in its bustling agriculture industry. The city is surrounded by acres of lush farmland stretching in all directions, providing wondrous varieties of fresh produce to local restaurants and a stark contrast to many of the urban backdrops found nearby.  I recently had a chance to visit this part of the city and, among the endless rows of perfectly laid out fruit trees,  was surprised to find a fantastic meeting location in Limoneira, the United States’ largest producer of lemons and avocados.

Chilaquiles + Giant Boots = Awesome

Before I explain why I officially adore San Antonio, let me provide some context:

I have, more than once, had Mexican food for breakfast, lunch and dinner in a single day. My family once owned a Mexican restaurant. I eat turkey enchiladas on Thanksgiving.

In other words, I am a Mexican food snob. And the Mexican food in San Antonio is, well, wow.

Chicago’s Bohemian Tavern

In the May issue of Smart Meetings, you’ll find an updated guide to meeting in Illinois, including suggestions for where to convene, where to stay and what attractions to visit. But what about where to dine? Here’s one suggestion:

Take your crew to Hubbard Inn, where the bohemian spirit lives on in swell eclectic surroundings. Many of the European-influenced dished are prepared to be communal. Try the ravioli, chickpea crepe or braised rabbit. Among the tavern-like rooms, there is private space that can be booked for groups of 10–150. Bartenders specialize in custom cocktails and midcentury standards. It’s located in Chicago’s River North neighborhood at 110 W. Hubbard St. (near North Clark Street).

The Smart Meeting La Costa Resort, Day 3

As the last day of The Smart Meeting at La Costa Resort & Spa began, the attendees were still coming down from letting their inner rock stars out the night before. The attendees started the day with planner Joanne Dennison, who spoke on the topic “Intellectually Smart: Using Intellectual and Creative Property Legally.” Dennison gave some helpful tips for avoiding copyright infringement and fines for using our favorite artist’s music. “Blanket licenses for music start at $140 for BMI and $288 for ASCAP,” Dennison said. “Fines can range from thousands to hundreds of thousands [of dollars] per song per use that you play without the license. Which is the better investment?”

Marlins Ballpark: an Experience unto Itself

At the end of April, I flew from San Francisco to Miami to go to a baseball game. Well, not just a baseball game. I went to experience the new Miami Marlins ballpark, which just opened in time for the 2012 baseball season. While the stadium has more than enough appeal for typical baseball fans—big screens, brightly lit scoreboards and plenty of concessions—it has just as much for the atypical ones.

Take the Bobblehead Museum for instance. There are 588 wobbling heads that represent a variety of big-name baseball stars on display for guests to visit. Plus, there’s a pool. The Clevelander, a South Beach icon, has taken residence in the park as a hip field-side nightclub. Guests can, yes, swim, dance and even watch performers being covered with glowing body paint. This excitement alone will give guests so much entertainment that there’s a good chance they won’t remember the score of the game.

Super Moon in a Super Destination

It was there, and then it wasn’t. On Saturday, the “super moon”—a dazzling annual spectacle that occurs when the moon reaches its closest proximity to Earth—disappeared behind a gray cloud in the nighttime sky of San Antonio hill country.

In this rare state, the moon appears 14% bigger and 30% brighter, and it seemed bigger and brighter still in hill country, an undeveloped swatch of rolling Texas terrain that seems hundreds of miles away from bustling downtown San Antonio—though it is only about 20 miles north.

A Rockin’ Day Two at The Smart Meeting La Costa

Before we get to all the rockin’, rollin’ excitement from the second day of The Smart Meeting at La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif., here’s a peek inside the gift bags attendees received. These special turn-down gifts featured all of Smart Meetings’ favorite items, including Brandini Toffee, Pinky Vodka, World-Wide-Waters mineral water, Creative Hawaiian Island Gifts portfolio, Ghirardelli chocolate, Harney & Son tea, Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups, granola from Ojai Valley Inn, Pirate’s Booty and Popcorn Palace popcorn, a See Jane Work storage box, Top Notch Resort and Spa bath salts and a Miraval Resorts cookbook that is being released this month.

Having a Ball at The Smart Meeting La Costa

Smart Meetings’ second three-day event of 2012 is happening now at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. Attendees were greeted at the airport by Fuse Events, an event management company and the official transportation company of Smart Meetings, and taken in style to the resort. Once you arrive on La Costa Resort & Spa property, you automatically feel relaxed, calm and experience a Zen-like connection to the world. The property is covered in beautiful tropical bird of paradise flowers and palm trees, transporting you to a tropical destination. La Costa Resort & Spa is a one-stop shop for all of your needs: golf, dining, clothing stores, eight different pools and the No. 1 resort spa in Southern California.

Uncovering Gremlins in Southwest’s History

First of all, Southwest Airlines has a corporate historian, which is pretty cool. More importantly, that corporate historian has uncovered photographic evidence that the airline used to have a fleet of AMC Gremlins—you know, the subcompact cars that practically scream “1970s!” and that Time magazine included on its list of 50 Worst Cars of All Time—painted with Southwest’s brownish, reddish color scheme and corporate logo.

On the airline’s Nuts About Southwest blog, Corporate Historian Brian Lusk writes that he has to “admit to an obsession” with the cars, which were used by the airline’s marketing staff to make sales calls.

A Call to Action Over GSA-inspired Bill

It has become increasingly rare for Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives to come together on any issue, but punishing the General Services Administration and placing restrictions on government meetings is evidently one thing they can agree on. Yesterday, inspired by the outrage generated by a 2010 GSA regional conference that cost taxpayers $823,000, lawmakers approved a bill designed to prevent such spending in the future, easily passing it on a voice vote. The Digital Accountability and Transparency Act was originally introduced in June 2011 to create a website where citizens can track how federal dollars are spent, but in the wake of the GSA scandal, it was amended to include limits on the number of conferences agencies can hold annually and to cap spending at $500,000 per event.