Location Boosts Attendee Numbers for ASTRO
Philadelphia's accessible location and close proximity to major hospitals proved to be a winning draw for the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting, held Nov. 5-9. Physicians and radiation oncology professionals often work on a rotating schedule and are only able to come every few years to the meeting. But many could travel easily to Philadelphia without leaving the office for long, and ASTRO promoted a one-day conference registration in advance of the meeting, thereby "capturing a segment of our attendee base that would not normally come to our annual meeting," said Michele Cordie, ASTRO director of meetings.

Each year ASTRO partners with local cancer organizations to raise money and awareness. In 2006, the association doubled the amount of money it raised (more than $25,000) by involving exhibitors at the corporate level. For a $2,500 donation, an exhibitor's company name and booth number were listed on passports which attendees could have stamped by the exhibitors at their booths. When their passport was full, attendees could drop off the passport for a chance to win a raffle prize. "From an exhibitor's perspective this was a win-win situation," Cordie said. "By participating in our passport program, not only were they able to make a tax-deductible contribution to these worthy cancer organizations, but they were also able to drive traffic to their booths." 

College Convention Themed Around New Orleans
The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) firmly tied the content of its meeting to its location. Held in New Orleans Jan. 17-20, the meeting explored how higher education is preparing students to meet real-world challenges, and the theme of engaged citizenship - and how it relates to post-Katrina New Orleans - ran through the conference. While the meeting brings together college educators from across the country, all keynote speakers at the meeting were centrally involved with the rebuilding of New Orleans, and many sessions touched on the city itself. Off-site events included a session at the Historic New Orleans Collection and a community forum of educators and community activists in Central City. AAC&U's Board of Directors noted, "New Orleans represents a valuable opportunity for the nation - and its colleges and universities - to reflect on the root issues that make many Americans especially vulnerable in times of catastrophe."

"The implications of our work to educate students for today's world become even more evident and pressing when set within the context of challenges facing New Orleans," said AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider. "We must ready students for today's world - a world filled with problems for which there are no easy answers and in which the important questions of the day do not come in multiple-choice form." 

SPECIAL REPORT
Baltimore: Brimming With Development 
With more than $10 billion in new and planned development, Baltimore is preparing to welcome its newest addition to the skyline - a 757-room Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel that will make the city even more competitive in the Mid-Atlantic region. The hotel will include a dedicated room-block agreement for the bureau and connect to the Baltimore Convention Center via a climate-controlled walkway.

Currently, Baltimore offers planners a tight and convenient convention package with hotels, convention center, restaurants, and attractions all within walking distance of the waterfront.

Baltimore's convention bookings continue to support the city's growth; for fiscal year 2006, definite bookings for future years were up 9 percent with definite attendance for future years up 44 percent compared to fiscal year 2005. In 2006, Baltimore saw an increase in large citywide groups booking multi-year deals, and an increase in the trade show segment. For example, the Décor Expo Spring show moves to Baltimore after more than 15 years in New York City.

Updates to the city's hotel product will continue in 2007 with a number of hotels undergoing renovations to guest rooms, meeting facilities and public space. Renovations include a $7 million upgrade at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel, Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel's $2 million investment, and a $30 million investment and conversion of the Wyndham hotel to the Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel.