Meet the El Conquistador Resort

One of the greatest privileges humans have is the liberty of constantly choosing different options in any given situation. Whether if its choosing right from wrong, black or white, right or left, good or bad, chocolate or vanilla, etc. Using the corporate world as an example, thinking outside the box and doing things differently can sometimes help establish new ideas, determine new points, and ultimately reach goals and objectives faster, more efficiently, in a fun, unique and entertaining way. This is why corporations and/or companies should explore new venues and destinations for their corporate gatherings. Feel free to explore all the choices and different opportunities the beautiful island of Puerto Rico has to offer for your corporate events, conferences and/or conventions. I guarantee your event will be a total success. 

Fajardo, Puerto Rico

Say hello to the El Conquistador Resort, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel Resort. Perched high above the ocean on 300-foot cliff, El Conquistador is one of the most luxurious resorts in the Caribbean, located in Fajardo,Puerto Rico. 

Resort Accommodations

It is divided into five villages, with breathtaking, panoramic ocean views at The Grand Hotel including the villages of Las Brisas and La Vista. The resort is located on the northeastern tip of the island, near El Yunque Rain Forest. It is 4 miles away from stores and attraction of downtown Fajardo and Las Croabas. It counts with an on-site-world-class golf, spa, casino, water park, wind surfing, scuba diving, fishing and more. It even has its own private island, Palomino Island, just a 8 minutes boat ride (provided by hotel for guests) where guest can relax and enjoy the sun, beach, restaurants, water sports and more. El Conquistador Resort is located 31 miles from San Juan (the Island’s capital) and the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU).

Atlantic Conference Center 

Grand Atlantic Ballroom - 21,090 sq ft

In addition, El Conquistador Resort has all the commodities and accommodations that your company may need to conduct your next event, trade show or convention in the brand new state-of-the-art Atlantic Conference Center. You can host a function in the Grand Atlantic Ballroom, the largest ballroom in Puerto Rico with a space of 21,090 sq ft; or on the smaller Grand Caribbean Ballroom with 19,982 sq ft space. Your company has the opportunity to hold a board meeting in one of the 16 breakout rooms or meet in one of the 100,000 sq ft of indoor /outdoor meeting space.The resort also offers professional event planning staff and catering services for any event, luncheon, or dinner, etc.  El Conquistador also offers numerous business amenities and services, which include, audio-visual equipment rental, printers, fax, Wi-Fi, and more.

This is ultimately one of the top 5 resorts in the Caribbean, with top-of-the class facilities and services.  Remember U.S citizens: you don’t need your passport to travel to Puerto Rico, we are a U.S territory. (For more information on Puerto Rico's culture, climate, location and more Click Here) This is a great option for your company or corporation's events to be unique, fun and entertaining. For more information on the resort visit their website or click here. I urge you to consider this great venue and destination; I guarantee you won’t regret it. “ Life is anything, but square. So, why think inside a box? – Unknown

 

Enjoy the following clip with a more inside look of this great resort.

El Conquistador Resort Official Website

Sources:

El Conquistador Resort Official Website - http://www.elconresort.com/index.cfm

Video:

El Conquistador Resort - Puerto Rico - Waldorf Astoria Collection 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co1LLQ99KwE

Pictures:

http://www.uigolf.com/custom_logos/?1=e 

http://jordanpicture.blogspot.com/2010/12/el-conquistador-resort-in-fajardo.html

http://www.privateislandsblog.com/2009/11/16/family-friendly-private-island-resort/el-conquistador/

http://blisstree.com/feel/wedding-venues-puerto-ricoel-conquistador/

http://averylanedesign.com/blog/

http://www.skulpt.com/3d-animator-career-options.htm

 

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A Client's Point of View in Negotiations: Event & Convention Planners Take Notes!

What event & convention planners should know about their clients to have successful negotiations...

For the event and convention planning industry negotiating is everyday’s cup of coffee. Negotiating prices, dates, themes, entertainment, client contracts and more is done on a daily basis. This is why having knowledge on deal making tactics and methods are vital in this type of industry. Although it is imperative for event planners to understand and know how to execute a successful negotiation, do they know what their clients are thinking? What are their key strategies when it comes to negotiating? In this interview with Mr. Angel L. Rodríguez we will explore what customers do, avoid and look during the negotiating process when dealing with event, conventions, and/or trade-show planners. Remember, knowing the other persons needs, interest and wants are results in as a great advantage for the other negotiator. Therefore event planners take notes!

We had the opportunity of talking with Mr. Angel L. Rodríguez, Vice-President of Roger Electric Co. in Puerto Rico. He is also head of the convention and activities committee of the Professional Engineer Association in Puerto Rico (CIAPR). Mr. Rodríguez often uses event planner services for both his business and the association activities. During this interview we asked Mr. Rodríguez about his approach when it comes to negotiating with his event planner, his expectations, tactics and results.

When it comes down to choosing and closing a deal with an event planner, how do you approach your event planner when dealing with prices, fees, and contracts?

I tend to use an aggressive approach. Doing previous research on prices and fees makes me have an advantage on how much I ask and on how much I can settle for. Sometimes insinuating that we have other options makes prices, fees and contract clauses come into more agreeable terms.

What do you expect from your event planner, when it comes down to agreeing on a deal? Mutual gain? More benefits for you? Or more benefits for the event planner?

Every time I negotiate I prefer ending with a win-win situation, this way you can be satisfied with your deal and the dealer will be pleased with the final outcome. This also guarantees future business opportunities for other activities for both parties. Mutual gain is my best bet.

Do you have a back up plan or BATNA, at the time of the negotiation? How do you approach the planner with this information? Do you use the BATNA as leverage in order to get what you want?

When it comes to negotiating, either with a party planner or with anybody business wise, you always have to have a back up plan. Now, the key is trying to obtain what you want without being too obvious. I tend to notify before hand that I have certain options, but I will be more than welcome on listening to what they have to offer me. This was the person feels that his or her offer is being considered and that they have a chance of making a deal. This often results with pleasing numbers and a successful deal.

What do you prefer, having a good “friend like” relationship when it comes to negotiating or do you prefer establishing roles and status from the get go?

This is very complex because it depends on the situation. I think the best way to approach a negotiation is establishing the points and terms from the beginning. This is when separating the person from the problem comes into play. I believe that keeping a professional and trustworthy relationship is the best way to do negotiations.

Has someone used any dirty tricks or tactics in order to close a deal? Have you used any? What was the outcome of the negotiation?

I don’t believe in dirty anything. Using dirty tricks or tactics is very unsuccessful. Maybe you can trick someone once but it wont work again, this is when negotiations go wrong. Being as straightforward and honest as possible is the best way to end up with what you want.

If you had to summarize your negotiating techniques, what is the most important one and most successful in your opinion?

Like I said before every negotiation is different and the approach varies. I usually tend to wait for the other person to make the first move, this allows me to know if they are benefiting from the situation and allows me to re-negotiate something better. I usually prefer doing the early process of my negotiations through email but at the moment of closing the deal I prefer a personal encounter. I do believe enormously in the value of a handshake. This can go either wrong or extremely well, but I do think that this old fashion trend keeps things classy and professional, it all depends on the relationship and trust both parties have acquired. Being prepared for every negotiation also gives you an advantage. I strongly recommend reading “The Art of Negotiation”, by Gerard Nierenberg. This book has really helped me with my negotiation tactics not only with entertainment activities but with my business as well.

I have to agree with Mr. Rodriguez, tactics, techniques, and approaches vary depending on the situation and the negotiation. However, doing research, knowing the other persons’ needs and wants definitely makes you feel more confident at the time of the negotiation. Being prepared is the key of a great negotiation. Hopefully, now with this blog event and/or convention planners can have a better view of how their clients operate, what they look for, and how they approach negotiations. Good luck and happy negotiating! Special thanks to Mr. Rodriguez for taking the time and answering our questions.

Resources:

Roger Electric Co. - http://www.rogerelectric.com/

CIAPR - http://www.ciapr.org/

The Art of Negotiation - http://www.amazon.com/Art-Negotiating-Gerard-Nierenberg/dp/156619816X

 
 

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Top 5 Convention Centers in the U.S

Although, I am encouraging everyone to consider the beautiful island of Puerto Rico as one of your choices for hosting your event and/or convention, here is a Top 5 list of the best convention centers in the United States.  

Number 5: Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu (250,000 sq. ft of exhibit space)

The design of the glass-front center represents the unique culture of Hawaii, with its bold architecture, $2 million Hawaiian art collection, and features such as a rooftop tropical garden, glass-encased meeting rooms and outdoor function spaces lined with giant palm trees, make this convention center a very pleasant one. You can find 10,000 committable hotel rooms within 1 mile of the center. The Honolulu International Airport is conveniently located 9 miles West of Waikiki Beach, 4 miles West of Central Honolulu and 7.5 miles West of the Hawaii Convention Center. Hawaii’s currency is U.S. dollars and main language is English. In addition, Honolulu (capital of Hawaii) has been ranked one of the safest in the nation.

(For more information on the Hawaii Convention Center click here) 

Number 4: Georgia World Congress Center (1,500,000 sq. ft of exhibit space)

Located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, which includes the 3.9 million square foot convention center, the 71,250-seat Georgia Dome and 21-acre Centennial Olympic Park.  This convention center ranks among the top five largest convention destinations in the country as well as one of the best sports and entertainment campuses in the world. The Georgia World Congress Center opened its doors in 1976 as one of the nation's premier convention facilities with 350,000-square-feet of exhibit space. Over the years, the Georgia World Congress Center underwent numerous expansions to meet the needs of growing conventions and special events.

(For more information on the Georgia World Congress Center click here) 

Number 3: Minneapolis Convention Center (600,000 sq. ft of exhibit space)

The Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC) has nearly 480,000 square feet of trade show space, 87 column-free conference meeting rooms, a 28,000-square-foot ballroom, and an auditorium with great production and flexible technology options, the facility can handle any event from a small meeting to a large convention or trade shows. It is located close to freeways and only 20 minutes from the airport on the southern edge of downtown Minneapolis. In addition, this trade show and event center is connected by climate-controlled skyways to the downtown hotels, restaurants and shopping. One of the great things of this convention center is that recently they have acquired new solar panels. The panels are fully installed, and the system is fully running as of mid-November 2010. This is a great option destination for the new “green” conventions and/or trade shows.(For more information on the Minneapolis Convention Center click here) 

Number 2: Las Vegas Convention Center (1,040,000 sq. ft of exhibit space) The Las Vegas Convention Center is a 3.2 million square foot facility located within a short distance of more than 100,000 guest rooms. Operated by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), the center is well known among industry professionals for its versatility. It also counts with 144 meeting rooms, handles seating capacities ranging from 20 to 2,500. A grand lobby and registration area link existing exhibit halls with new exhibit and meeting rooms, and allowing simultaneous set-up, breakdown and exhibiting of multiple events. The LVCC is one of the largest convention centers in the world. Having the availability and the capacity for thousands of people, the Las Vegas Convention Center is one of the top choices for bigger companies and for the world’s largest trade show companies.(For more information on the Las Vegas Convention Center click here) 

Number 1: Orange County Convention Center (2,000,000 sq. ft of exhibit space)The Orange County Convention Center is one of the nation's ten largest convention centers having an amazing 2,000,000 square feet of exhibit space. In its entirety, the Orange County Convention Center features:

• Two 92,000-square-foot general assembly areas

• 74 meeting rooms/235 breakouts

•  The 2,643-seat Chapin Theater

•  A 200-seat Lecture Hall

• The 62,000-square-foot (multi-purpose Valencia Room
• Three full-service restaurants/8 food courts

• Three-business centers
• In-house electric, plumbing, rigging and technical services, plus wireless mobility throughout the complex
• On-site parking for 6,227
• Three covered loading docks/173 truck bays

The OCCC is located 11 miles southwest of downtown Orlando in the middle of Orange County's tourism core. The Orange County Convention Center is within walking distance of more than 6,000 hotel rooms, and within 45 minutes driving distance to more than 86,000 hotel rooms in the Orlando area. In average, the OCCC hosts approximately one million delegates annually and provides a $1.9 billion dollar total economic impact annually to the Central Florida economy, all at no cost to Orange County Citizens.(For more information on The Orange County Convention Center click here) 

It is certain that all the convention centers listed above have all the qualities and attributes that your company, business or industry needs to host an excellent and top-of-the class event, convention and/or trade show. They all have an impressive amount of exhibit space and top of the line technology. It all depends on your market and the objectives and goals of your event.

*Remember to consider Puerto Rico as one of your destinations for hosting these type of events. For more information on venue opportunities and entertainment in Puerto Rico feel free to browse through the blog. 

Resources: 

-Hotel & Conventions http://www.hotelsconventioncenter.com/

-Hawaii Convention Center http://www.hawaiiconvention.com/

-Georgia World Congress Center http://www.gwcc.com/Default.aspx

-Minneapolis Convention Center http://www.minneapolisconventioncenter.com/

-Las Vegas Convention Center http://www.lvcva.com/index.jsp

-Orange County Convention Center http://www.occc.net/default.asp

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Posted in: Conventions,Top 5,Tourism

Event Planning? How to Benefit your Pocket!

The special events industry has grown enormously during the last two decades. The annual spending of events worldwide is estimated to be at $500 billion. It is no secret that the economic status worldwide of businesses and companies is not at its peak. Therefore, the need to keep employees and clients interested and motivated is crucial in a time like this. In addition, companies have recognized that only so much work can be conducted thru the phone, texts, and emails. This is when the ideas to create special events, seminars, meetings and/or conventions are taken into consideration. 

Now that we have established the need and importance of the production of corporate events, let's establish how an event planning company makes its revenue. According to the web article, How to Start an Event Planning Service, at entrepreneur.com, it is crucial to know that the goal in pricing a service is to mark up your labor and material costs sufficiently to cover overhead expenses and generate an acceptable profit. It is said that first time business owners often fail due to unknowingly low service rates, therefore make sure you are gaining profits from your services. 

There are two types of events; social and corporate, for our interest we will focus on corporate events. On the corporate events industry planners typically charge a fee for their services, plus a handling charge for each item they contract. Another option is charging clients a "flat fee" or a "project fee", this is often used in large events and/or when corporations want an estimated figure to stay on budget. 

Fees are generally determined by three factors. 

1.              Market Segment (Corporations- using flat fees)

2.              Geographic Location (For example, fees are higher in the northeast part of the United States)

3.              Experience and Reputation of the planning company (If you are starting out it is only reasonable to charge a lower service fee) 

This is why knowing your target market and doing your market research is so important. Most event planning companies’ price their fees-for-service using the Cost Plus Method (CPM), it involves calculating the unit cost of producing the product and adding on a target profit margin. This means, that you contract out the labor, supplies and materials involved in producing an event and then charge clients a service fee of about 10 to 20 percent of the total cost of the event, with 15 percent being a rough average. However, in order for your company to know the final net income, I advise you to produce a pro forma (for more information on Pro forma click here) this will determine how your company will make its revenue, determine expenses and much more.

Below is an info graphic of the event planning industry you might like. Enjoy. 

By: Melanie Rodriguez / Market Research 

Resources:

- http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/37892-5

-http://www.laurieco.com/html/cost_plus.html

-http://www.businesstown.com/accounting/projections-statements.asp

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Posted in: billing,Conventions,corporate events,finance,Income

Out of ideas? Dive into Corporate Theater...

Corporate events and/or conventions sometimes lack innovation and creativity. It's up to event planners or convention organizers to continuously design and come up with new ideas for these types of events. After doing some research, new methods are being used by numerous companies to appeal to their employees and/or clients. Among these new methods we can find theme conventions and business or corporate theater. 

Many event and convention production companies are using business theater as a new innovative way to spice up corporate seminars, events, and/or conventions. Business or corporate theater are productions written and produced specifically to support and illustrate the theme and goals of your particular event. Agencies who actually produce this type of shows make sure they have very accurate information about the company, the employees and typical work situations. This way the shows have very realistic facts and characters, creating a very direct message. The advantage of this type of theater is that corporations have the opportunity to deliver desired messages using comedy, music or drama to their desired audience in a unique way. 

Agencies like the Killing Kompany have been consulting corporations for over 15 years.

"The Killing Kompany creates custom designed interactive training and awareness programs of any length and design for corporations and other organizations. By combining live performance by professional stage, TV and film actors with interactive audience participation, we can help make your company seminars on specific corporate problems and their solutions more provocative, unique and entertaining - and, of course, more effective.

Whether your company's goal is education, staff motivation, training, problem-solving or individual growth, we offer the most effective tool to replicate, and vividly illustrate the solutions to, the real and problematic situations your employees and managers confront in their day to day settings"

Using ideas like corporate theater can make your event or convention a one of a kind. People continuously need to be entertained and what better way to motivate, educate or problem solve with something not ordinary and fun. So next time you need to do something different, appealing and creative think out of the box. Keep looking for new ways to keep your employees and/or costumers interested with innovation and creativity. This is a great way for corporate activities to have a large number of assistance and support they deserve. So, next time you are organizing a corporate event think beyond the norm. Ideas like this will make your company stand out. 


For more information on Business Theater and companies like the Killing Kompany click here. 

Resources: 

Killing Kompany- http://www.killingkompany.com/kk01008.html

Owen Show Productions - http://www.owen.bc.ca/osp/corporate%20theatre/index.html

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Meet Puerto Rico! Puerto Rico Convention Bureau

Say hello to the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau (PRCB), somewhat similar to PR Dive In 101, the bureau's website shows the opportunities the caribbean island of Puerto Rico offers for local and international corporations interested in having and hosting their events and/or conventions on the island.

Once you enter their interactive website, you are mesmerized with the colorful pictures and all the options you can choose from. First, you have the "Planners" option, here you can start to plan, manage, or promote your event in Puerto Rico. Then you have the "Members" option, where you can grow your network or grow your business by joining the PRCB. Next, is the "Media" option, where you can informed on the latest news from the premier meetings and convention destinations in the Americas. And lastly, you have the "Puerto Rico" and "Convention Center" options. Here you can explore and learn all about the destination and acquire all the necessary information of the largest most technologically advanced convention center in the caribbean.

Joining forces with the PRCB would have a great outcome for both the bureau and PR Dive In 101. This partnership will encourage both local and international corporations to consider Puerto Rico as one of their firsts options when looking for a venue. This is a great way to increase the island's tourism numbers, in addition to helping with the economic revenue in the island.

Showcasing all the opportunities and all the options corporations have in order to create their corporate events and/or conventions, is only a small part of what the bureau really does. On their website costumers can plan and manage their events. Definitely, we want to create the same vibe and recognition as PRCB. This is why doing a partnership or membership with them will help get our brand and name out there, in our desired industry.

It is nice to know that others have the same interest in showcasing what our native land has to offer. Remember to consider Puerto Rico as a venue for your next corporate event or convention.

For more information visit their website. Puerto Rico Convention Bureau

Official PRCB website

References: 
http://www.meetpuertorico.com/

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Start the Movement!

Difficult…but Not Impossible: Start the movement!

The development of IN Entertainment Co.

To develop a brand, a company, service or product has its obstacles but certainly it’s not impossible. This is the case of IN Entertainment Co. designed to be the first specialized event/convention company in Puerto Rico.  This is an innovative idea that has a very promising outcome. Knowing the obstacles and the economic depression the world is facing, anyone would back down on following their dreams or hold back on their plans, but fortunately with a good idea, a good business plan, and a determined group of followers, maybe NOW is the moment. This is what Kimberly Fowler, CEO & founder of Yas Fitness Centers, tell us about overcoming the obstacles when it comes to opening a new business. Her most important step is the first one, taking the "Leap of Faith" in your idea and product. Now, how can you develop your idea into a success? Easy...starting a movement!

Let’s use Derek Sirves talk, How to Start a Movement presented at Ted.com. Here with the help of surprising footage he explains how a movement begins and all the factors that must be taken into consideration in order for it to be successful. With his unusual video presentation and comedic approach he gets his point across in a very entertaining way.

Get to know Derek!

Derek Sirves is the creator of a new project called MuckWork, where he wants “to lessen the burden (and boredom) of creative people”. A professional musician since 1987, he started CD Baby by accident in 1998 when he was selling his own CD on his website, and friends asked if he could sell theirs, too. CD Baby was the largest seller of independent music on the web, with over $100M in sales for over 150,000 musician clients. In 2008, Sivers sold CD Baby to focus on his new ventures to benefit musicians, including his new company, MuckWork, where teams of efficient assistants help musicians do their "uncreative dirty work."

Applying it to your idea:

As we learned with the Derek’s speech, a movement is easy to create. Remember that a leader takes the leap of faith, but without the followers the idea crumbles.  This is a great way to approach your idea. Take more time, explore your market and make sure you brand yourself and your product, idea or service in a way people support and follow. 

In conclusion, IN Entertainment Co. here we come! Remember every path has its obstacles, how you overcome them is the real key to success.

References:

Video: How to start a movement by: Derek Sirves http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement.html

Sources:

http://finance.yahoo.com/video/companynews-18928726/common-obstacles-facing-new-business-owners-23094884

http://samvak.tripod.com/nm01.html

http://www.ted.com/speakers/derek_sivers.html

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