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Archive for the ‘Video’ Category
Lincoln takes center stage in Virginia
Even though the idea isn’t completely original, the Virginia Tourism Corporation is now offering a very cool team-building opportunity with the debut of the Lincoln Movie Trail. Coinciding with the release of Academy Award-nominated Lincoln, the movie trail is an example of a tourism trend that takes advantage of a film’s setting, including the hotels and restaurants enjoyed by famous actors during the shoot. In the case of the Lincoln Movie Trail, meeting attendees can zip through the streets of Richmond on Segways, trolley rides or via foot. Private bus tours for groups of 15 or more can be booked through Virginia Film Tours.
Like other movie destinations—think New Zealand and The Lord of the Rings trilogy—Richmond and nearby Petersburg are banking on a highly acclaimed movie stimulating tourism and bringing more events and meetings to the area. “Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln affords us tremendous opportunities to showcase the Richmond region in a unique way,” says Jack Berry, president and CEO of the Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We invite visitors to explore the Richmond region’s rich history and modern-day cosmopolitan energy that made it Spielberg’s destination of choice for the filming of Lincoln.”
The movie trail provides an insider’s look into the filming of Lincoln and includes stops at places Abraham Lincoln actually visited at the close of the Civil War. Guided and self-guided tours feature the historic Bell Tower on the state capitol grounds (Daniel Day-Lewis, who starred as Lincoln, spent the night there to remain in character), the Virginia Repertory Theatre (made to look like Ford’s Theatre, where Lincoln was shot) and the Virginia Capitol (transformed into a military encampment and the White House).
To eat where the stars dined, consider stopping at Bistro Bobette. This authentic French bistro in Richmond’s chic and historic Shockoe Slip area was frequented by Kathleen Kennedy, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. The movie’s head of catering also dined here nightly.
For more information about the filming of Lincoln in Virginia and other movies shot on location in the state, see the March issue of Smart Meetings magazine. And tune in this Sunday to see if Lincoln wins any prizes at the Academy Awards.
─ Holly Woolard
W Austin Does Flashmob
From learning Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” dance to impersonating a statue, flashmobs are popping up everywhere and literally exciting the masses. Even the popular television show Modern Family did a stint about the latest thrill. And now the hotel industry is on board.
Last Wednesday, the 300-person staff at the W Austin showed their enthusiasm for the hotel’s opening with a flashmob dance to the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Got a Feeling.” Clad in “I W Austin” t-shirts, the staff gathered in front of the new hotel the afternoon before its opening and performed the synchronized dance, which ended in the staff forming a shape of a W.
The property features 251 guest rooms and 10,500 sq. ft. of event space—and a staff that knows how to party. Watch the video below for a little preview of just how exciting things can get at Texas’ new W hotel.
Do you vacation?
Does taking a vacation day feel like more of a burden than a reward? You work hard all year long and then when it comes time to take your vacation you feel like you have all this work to do before you leave (and let’s not even talk about the catch-up work when you get back). If it feels like this for you, chances are you are not alone.
According to a recent ad from Royal Caribbean International, Americans spend 261 days working each year (and that is if you don’t work weekends, which many of us do). We get an average of 13 days of vacation (often you won’t use three of them because you are just too busy). And from their math, Americans gave up more than 1-million years of unused vacation days in 2009 alone!
To make matters worse, we are missing something that is actually good for us. We should go on vacation, their video says you are 82% more productive when you get back, and you live longer—that sounds like much more than improved productivity to me. (See the video for yourself below).
More is More in Pasadena
The tagline for the Pasadena CVB is “simply more.” And during a recent FAM trip to the SoCal town, I got more than the standard of everything that makes a destination great: food, service, scenery and attractions. Indeed, on every level, the city surpassed the ordinary.
A Look into Smart Meetings
I am interning here for the summer. I come from New York City where I am studying English at Columbia University. New York is a virtual Mecca of professionals and meeting planners. Thus, it is apropos that I started working here to learn the ropes.
Whereas the New York professional scene is marked by gray and dismal skyscrapers that block the sun’s rays, the sun flourishes here in Sausalito, Calif. Those who wish to enmesh office life with sprawling hills, eucalyptus groves and yacht-littered bay shores need look no further than the vistas seen through the windows of my new office. See for yourself in this YouTube video of our new digs.
Smart Meetings seems to typify the Bay Area ideal of working hard while embracing the more epicurean aspects of life. The walls are colorfully painted, the kitchen mod and impressive, and upon entering one is greeted abruptly by the barks of a large red poodle. Two poodles roam throughout the office like loyal dogs of olden times, living among humans in the long days work. It is notable that after a couple of days in the office, the poodles have accepted me and cease to be roused by my entrance, leaving their ominous greetings to the UPS man.
There are many perks for the professional: flying first class, complimentary hotel rooms, mini bars and being paid to visit new and distant places. Whereas these undertakings can both be thrilling and demanding, Smart Meetings is an essential resource to aid in meeting planning. Check the website for regional highlights, Smart Deals and savvy tips that can take the edge off planning a business meeting, while also increasing the odds of taking away good memories and enriching experiences to boot.
