CONTENTS July 2012 Volume 26, Issue 7 65 ONE ON ONE

William Pelster The managing principal for talent development at Deloitte Services explains how and why the professional-services giant built its own brick-and-mortar learning center — and what conferences can apply from its approach to employee education. Susan Sarfati, CAE

Departments

15 PLENARY Business Events Sydney tracks the “social legacy” of meetings. Pre Con: Ohio School Boards Association. Post Con: American Urological Association. Plus: Treehotel’s Mirrorcube; Jason Dorsey, the Gen Y Guy; Convene On Site.

Special Sections

69 INNOVATIVE CENTERS AND UNIQUE VENUES

Cutting-edge facilities and destinations for group business

70 Cincinnati 72 Cleveland 74 Experience Columbus

76 Connecticut Convention Center

78 Cobo Center 80 Milwaukee 82 Hyatt Regency New Orleans

84 CenturyLink Center Omaha

86 Orange County Convention Center

88 San Jose 90 Seattle

92 Calgary TELUS Convention Centre

94 Ottawa 96 CINTERMEX 98 Riviera Maya 100 Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre Jennifer N. Dienst and Katie Kervin

106 PCMA PARTNERS Working together to create meetings education

106 Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau Ascend Integrated Media

107 Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Delta Air Lines Katie Kervin

26 URBAN PLANNER The Palm Beaches & Boca Raton Sarah Beauchamp

28 ONLINE ‘Out of Our Comfort Zone’ Sarah Beauchamp

30 INNOVATIVE MEETINGS Their Own Three Words Katie Kervin

32 GIVING BACK Au Naturel Sarah Beauchamp

33 FORWARD THINKING Within Reach Dave Lutz, CMP

110 OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED Unspoken Katharine Cline

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

7 Comments 8 Behind the Scenes 10 To the Point 12 PCMA Today 14 Planner’s Notebook 108 Advertiser Index

Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach, p.26

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