Convention and Conference Facilities

Abstract

A rigorous statistical analysis indicates that large group bookings are a dominant source for errors in convention and conference facilities. This study demonstrates that the accuracy of the quantitative forecast can benefit from human judgment when an explicit structured process is applied to the judgmental adjustments. It develops and fits a correcting model that simulates managers' predictions. The results suggest that this approach can improve the accuracy of quantitative forecasting models when applied and calibrated to the hotel's specific characteristics.     

Conference Report: The World Ecotourism Summit

This paper uses an actor-network perspective on innovation to examine the introduction of a mandatory product-oriented environmental management system (in Dutch: Product en MilieuZorg or PMZ) for Dutch outbound tour operators by the Netherlands Association of Tour Operators (VRO). In-depth interviews and a quantitative analysis of the actions taken by 126 outbound tour operators revealed that the introduction of the PMZ was extensively negotiated. The results show the various stages of implementation and three types of tour operators: ‘unconvinced minor participants’, ‘open-minded yet sceptical participants’, and ‘loyal actors’. The analysis also demonstrates that on average, tour operators made 13.6 actions, which is almost three times the minimum requirement (five) set by the VRO. Between them, the 126 tour operators have undertaken a total of 1710 actions, of which over 87% concern the environmental dimension of sustainability. Unquestionably, the introduction of PMZ helped tour operators to identify some of the environmental consequences of their operations, and to single out and implement environmental friendly initiatives. However, the rather general criteria and lax entry requirements at this stage led to an abundance of proposed actions by tour operators that were often ‘soft’ and indeterminate. New rounds of translations are necessary to maintain the momentum.     

Conference Announcement

Sporting texts are designed to prioritize, personalize and sensationalize characters in an attempt to capture audience attention. The sporting hero has traditionally been perceived of as epitomizing social ideals and masculine virtues, and as embodying values that learnt on the playing fields will readily transfer into everyday life. However, growing media intrusion signifies the contemporary sports star as a ‘damaged hero’ – the male sports celebrity exemplifying contemporary laddishness, drunken exploits, wife and girlfriend beatings and gay relationships, all of which influence the image of the modern day sports hero. In contrast, female sport stars are well documented as marginalized, trivialized and objectified, to the extent which sports heroines are both invisible and questionable as role models for young girls.

This article discusses ways in which sport stars are constructed as role models for young people. It cites instancing examples from the sports calendar of the ‘summer of sport’ 1996, in its discussion of the media construction of sports stars as villains, fools or heroes. It identifies the gender differentiated readings of sports stars as heroes and heroines and concludes that the ways in which media critics accord hero and role model status does not necessarily reflect the opinions of young people.     

Conference Report

No abstract available for this article.     

Conference Reports

Governments at all levels have assumed greater responsibility for, and involvement in, tourism destination planning and development. In the post-Brundtland era local governments in particular have been under closer scrutiny for their role in driving the sustainable development agenda in tourism destination contexts. Yet, a notable research gap still exists despite the increased focus on local government, particularly in terms of empirical research investigating the roles and responsibilities of local government in addressing sustainable tourism development. Given this context, this paper explores the role of local government in facilitating, or indeed inhibiting, sustainable development objectives in a tourism destination context. To assess this issue, it uses in-depth interviews with local government representatives and key destination stakeholders from five local government areas in Queensland, Australia. It shows that local government had assumed responsibility for facilitating the sustainable tourism agenda, due to the absence of strong industry leadership and due to top-down directives from state and federal governments. However, power struggles, tokenistic public participation and the strong influence of the local government authority in local governance structures were found to be inhibitors to sustainable tourism development.     

Understanding Associations and Their Conference Decision-Making Processes

Abstract

A critical question for organizations and businesses involved in destination marketing and the provision of services for conferences and meetings is how associations decide where to hold their conferences and meetings. An understanding of these decision-making processes could provide valuable insights into how a destination can best promote themselves to this sector. The aims of the study presented in this paper were to identify the decision processes of association conference planners and to explore the attributes that they consider important when organizing a conference. The study used in-depth interviews with association conference organizers who had either planned an event in a regional Australian center during 2003 or who were currently in the process of planning for a future event to be held in that destination. The interviews revealed that while similar attributes were important to all planners, their importance differed between different types of associations. Major findings from the study included the importance of the bid process and the use of committees for the planning and organizing of tasks. Budget constraints were also a major component of the decision-process, as a majority of the associations studied were non-profit organizations. The venue was the most important attribute regarding the decision of host destination. The study concludes with an expanded model for convention planner decision processes based on Crouch and Ritchie's 1998 model.     

Report: The International Conference on Environmental,Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability

Tourism Public Policy and the Strategic Management of Failure. William Revill Kerr. Oxford: Elsevier. 2003. 0-08-044200-5     

Profiling the Hotel and Conference Center Meeting Planner

Abstract

Meeting planners are recognized leaders of the sweeping changes that have occurred in the hospitality industry in the last two decades (Raimondi, 1989). However, a review of professional and industry journals reveals a large disparity in the amount of attention afforded the corporate meeting planner in comparison to others in the profession, especially those in the hotel conference center arena. This article presents an overview of the evolution of the meeting planner and explores demographic data and current trends in the rapidly growing profession.     

Conference Report: BEST Education Network Think Tank V: Managing Risk and Crisis for Sustainable Tourism: Research and Innovation

Crisis Management in the Tourism Industry. D. Glaesser. Amsterdam: Butterworth Heinemann. 2003. 0-7506-5976-9