INCENTIVE MEETINGS

Mexico Exceeding All Expectations Mexico has always

had a reputation for being an exciting, safe destination with a wide variety of hotel product.Now more than ever, its focus on the future, proximity to the United States, and multitude of meeting and convention venues that will exceed all planners’ expectations place it among the most desirable incentive meeting destinations in the world. Groups convening here also enjoy very good value for the money; in fact, there is no VAT for international congresses, conventions, fairs, and exhi- bitions. Mexico is also an ideal destination for groups that want to hold environmentally friendly meetings, as it has launched many green initiatives and its meeting venues have

Mexico has a long history of hosting large international meetings and conventions, from the International Physics Olympiad to the PCMA Advisory Summit.

in place programs geared toward sustainability. But that’s just the beginning of the story. Mexico has a

long history of hosting large international meetings and con- ventions, with many more important upcoming events on its calendar. The International Physics Olympiad was held in Merida in June 2009, while Cancun was the site of the Inter- national Materials Research Congress. October 2009 brought the Annual Convention of the Society of American Travel Writers to Guadalajara, and theWorld Wilderness Congress was held in Merida in November 2009. Other important meetings that came to Mexico include the PCMA Advisory Summit and MPI Meet Different. In 2011, Mexico will host

Contact Eduardo Chaillo, CMM, CMP, executive director of meetings, Mexico Tourism Board; phone: (202) 265-9021; e-mail: echaillo@visitmexico.com; website:www.visitmexico.com.

For more information 94 pcmaconvene October 2010 www.pcma.org

the CIC CMP Conclave and the International Herpetological Symposium Monterrey. Mexico can accommodate any size meeting, with more

than 500,000 rooms in four-star, five-star, and special-category hotels, and 3,100 rooms in luxury hotels. Fifty-five convention centers, ranging in size from 13,000 to 597,000 square feet, have state-of-the-art meeting facilities and are flexible enough to adapt to any kind of event and space requirements. Planning a meeting in Mexico is easy when planners part-

ner with the Mexico Convention Bureau (MCB), a specialized department of the Mexico Tourism Board. Formed to provide assistance with destination information and meeting promo- tion, the MCB makes Mexico one of the few nations in the world with a national bureau dedicated to meetings and con- ventions. This office aids in planning, promoting, and develop- ing any event by integrating the information provided by the country’s more than 50 local CVBs with that of Mexico’s major suppliers. It maintains strategic alliances with ICCA, MPI, SITE,ASAE, IAEE, PCMA, HSMAI, and IAHMP, among other organizations.Some of the services provided are meeting planners’ guides; site-inspection management; press releases; information on venues, accommodations, general service providers, caterers, restaurants, banquet facilities, and city tour operators; city maps; and more.The Mexico Tourism Board has offices in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

ROOM TO STRETCH OUT: Mexico is able to host virtually any size meeting or incentive group, with half a million guest rooms in properties rated four-star and higher. The country also has 55 state-of-the-art convention centers, with meeting space of up to nearly 600,000 square feet.