the Plate’ Michael J. Lyons, Executive Vice President AMRMeetings&Incentives
Most of us recognize what the first-tier cities are—obviously, those are the big daddies, like
NewYork, Chicago, San Francisco—the ones that are defined by their population. From a meeting perspective, when you’re selecting second-
or third-tier cities rather than going to a first-tier, established city, there are so many factors that come into play. And sec- ond- and third-tier cities have done a lot in the last two or three decadesto position themselvesto be playersand to be able to
HIGH TIME:
It would only benefit plan- ners, Michael Lyons said, if there was agreement on what constitutes the different tiers.
compete with some of the bigger guys, mainly through their offeringsand the value they can create. There are some key criteria, at least from my perspective.
First and foremost is accessibility. What kind of airport do they have?
Secondly is what kind of housing — particularly upscale
hotels—restaurants, and attractions are going to be there for the attendees? There have to be enough facilities to support continued on page 42