A Climb for a Cause
One saying has it that you should love the journey, not the destination. For the president and CEO of a CVB, that would seem an ironic philosophy to embrace, but 45-year-old Cami Mattson is not your typical CVB executive. She has climbed Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest freestanding mountain rise in the world; spent 30 days in the wilderness as part of a survival experience; and has even jumped out of airplanes.

When she is home, she dedicates herself to the San Diego North Convention & Visitors Bureau where she has worked for more than 21 years. But during her free time, it's all about adventure.

She recently returned from a 16-day trek from Lukla, a short flight from Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, to the base camp on Mt. Everest, the sacred Nepalese monolith. But this adventure had a cause behind it.

"What began as a casual dinner conversation at the WACVB [Western Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus] CEO Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, between me and Steve Moore, CEO of the Phoenix CVB, has turned into a wonderful fund-raising effort," said Mattson. More than 40 bureaus and industry partners sponsored her by contributing up to 10 cents for every foot she climbed above 12,600 feet to her goal of Everest Base Camp at 17,600 feet. She raised $15,500 that will be used for travel industry research and educational scholarships. Additional funds she raised from friends will also be used to buy hot meals, supplies, and transportation for a school of 75 orphans in Arusha, Africa.

Her Everest trek took her through some of the most spectacular mountain regions in the world. On the trail, the group stepped aside of yaks carrying loads down the Khumba valley, they walked around stupas (religious monuments), over bridges laced with prayer flags, and by chortens - rock memorials in honor of those sherpas and foreigners who have died here. "Trekking slows me down from the chaos and schedules at home. It heightens all your senses without distractions. When I'm on an adventure, I like to be in it. I'm not an armchair traveler. I appreciate the extreme emotions of the experience. When it's raining, you're soaking wet and cold. Your joy is heightened when it's sunny, clear, and warm."

This adventure became a bit more challenging when Mattson became ill in Kathmandu. "It taught me to cherish the times when you are perfectly well," she said. Sleeping at such extreme altitudes was also difficult, she said. Still, it was all worth it. "When you get the chance to go to a place where not everyone else can go makes it special," she said.

Mattson trained for the trek for more than four months and was part of a seven-person team led by guides from Berg Adventures. She gained deep respect for the Nepalese sherpas who were part of the team. "They have such a wonderful spirit, they are so accepting, and have such humility. They made me reflect on my own life."

What's next for this adventurer? She is determined to learn technical climbing that entails using ropes and crampons and take on Mt. Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe. Images from her Mt. Everest trek can be found at www.BergAdventures.com and clicking on BAI 2006 Everest Base Camp Support Trek, Sept. 15 to Oct. 8.

memberprofile
A Room With a View, and Vino in Her Future
Tricia Kullman-Ruiz, CASE President, ThirdVerve: Meeting Management Services, PCMA member since 1992

Her "Aha" Moment: "As all good mothers do when their children watch television, I check on my young children occasionally. My 'aha' moment was when my three-year-old son turned to me, following a commercial, and said 'I want that!' "

'That' was a violent computer program geared toward teenage boys. I realized how we all react to great marketing. That made me start looking at my purchases more analytically. I see so many parents indulging their children with things that 'everyone has.' To deny the child what she or he wants creates conflict between parent and child. However, I've tried to turn it into a positive and now my son and I discuss what we need versus what we want and I segue that into discussions about values."

An Unusual Workplace Story:
"Several years ago, I was working at a five-star resort. We always had celebrities staying at the resort; but employees were never allowed to ask the celebrities for autographs or approach them. One time, Arnold Schwarzenegger checked in and the hotel did not have one of the suites, with a private pool, available until the next day. He had to settle for using one of the public pools at the resort. It was late in the afternoon when the girls in the sales department got a call from the director of housekeeping saying that if we wanted to see Arnold Schwarzenegger then we should go to room number so and so which overlooked one of the public pools. Several of us proceeded to the sleeping room that overlooked the pool and inconspicuously watched Arnold sunbathe in his Speedo."

You'd Never Guess…
"I am getting ready to plant an acre of grapevines to produce my own wine. With lots of luck, in approximately three years I'll be handing out a fantastic bottle of Norton to my inner circle!"

Cancun Is Teeming With Natural Wonders
More than a new trend in tourism or a mere fad, ecotourism and eco-adventure is mankind's return to the natural world, a grand reconciliation with the environment, and a reencounter with nature. Cancun offers many such opportunities for visitors to explore a world of astonishing wonders: an underground river system, caves, the world's largest cenotes (natural sink holes), and a mystic jungle full of ancient Mayan cities yet to be discovered.

Here you can swim with dolphins, thrill to the cry of the howler monkey, watch the sky turn pink with the flight of flamingos, and follow the Mot-Mot or clock bird to a hidden cenote surrounded by trees filled with macaws, toucans, and many other multihued exotic birds. Snorkel the Great Mesoamerican Reef, kayak under the stars in search of crocodiles in the Sian Ka'an Reserve, or stroll along a path lined with Bromelias. Dive the archipelago formed by Holbox, Contoy, Isla Mujeres, and Cozumel Islands, and Chinchorro Banks. Visit the area's magical eco-archaeological parks, the largest in Latin America. And watch awestruck as a whale shark swims by or a peaceful manatee makes a splash. For those who experience the natural wonders of Cancun, this is a place that inspires and enriches.

Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau Tackles U.S. Passport Changes Head On
For years, American adults needed only a valid driver's license and birth certificate to go back and forth between the United States and Mexico and most Caribbean islands. Children only needed birth certificates. But as of Jan. 8, 2007, passports will be required for almost everyone entering the United States through airports, no matter where they are coming from. Cancun tourism officials have launched a "V.I.P. Very Important Passport" program, encouraging U.S. visitors to spread the word about the new passport law. The campaign will include almost every tourist business in the Cancun area. "We want American vacationers to take the passport message and share it with others," said Cancun CVB CEO Artemio Santos. For information on renewing a U.S. passport, visit http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html.

More Hotels Are Going to the Dogs
Travel is not just for the two-legged anymore. A growing number of dog owners are taking the family pet with them when they hit the road. Nineteen percent of dog owners bring along their dog when traveling; up from 16 percent in 2002. And hotels are happily rolling out the canine red carpet to meet the demand.

Wyndam Hotels and Resorts offer a doggie spa service, where a pooch can luxuriate with "paw-dicures," teeth cleaning, and massages.

When pets check in at the Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa, they receive their very own International Doggie Jet Set Kit. Doubling as a food and bowl, the canine amenity case features the travel essentials, ID tag and doggie lead, poop bag, therapeutic doggie massage cream, doggie wipes, treats, dog food, a puppy postcard, and a quirky canine quiz.

Since the introduction of the "Loews Loves Pets" program in 2000, many VIPs (Very Important Pets) have enjoyed the special treatment and privileges that are offered at the chain's 17 properties in the United States and Canada. Each visiting VIP can travel in first-class comfort with gourmet room service, specialized bedding, a pet amenity, and guest services designed to make pets and their owners feel right at home.

A 68-pound black Labrador retriever felt so much at home at Boston's Fairmont Copley Plaza, that the hotel decided to keep her. Catie Copley came to the Fairmont as a gimmick in 2004 to showcase a $38 million renovation and has been an important part of the hotel every since.

Some guests call three months in advance to book a walk with the pooch, dubbed a "canine ambassador" by the hotel. Catie has her own business cards, an e-mail address, and sends care packages to other dogs staying at the hotel. Catie trained to be a seeing-eye dog but needed a "career change" when she developed cataracts, said Jim Carey, the concierge director who takes her home most nights. At work, she curls up on a bed next to the concierges, who keep her walk schedule in a black leather appointment book. Most mornings Carey lets her run the hotel halls, her nails clicking across the marble floors, readily accepting a scratch behind the ears from friendly guests. 

random acts of kindness
Chinon's Excellent Adventure Leads Her Into Good Hands
As Sandy Biback, CMP, CMM, of Imagination + Meeting Planners, a Toronto-based meeting planning company, and her husband were in Italy celebrating their 41st anniversary and Sandy's 60th birthday, their dog, Chinon was on an adventure of her own. Chinon was with her dogsitter, Rita Plaskett, CMP, CMM, of Toronto-based ASSET, and the two were in Hamilton, Ontario, attending meetings related to the Canadian Society of Association Executives' 2008 conference. Chinon is no longer a young pup. She is 13 years old and has a heart condition.

Plaskett left the house where they were staying to go to a meeting and Chinon got the urge to do some exploring of her own. She chewed through a screen window and scurried off. When Plaskett returned, she was frantic to find Chinon missing. She had the difficult task of calling the Bibacks in Italy to break the news. When Biback got the call, she was in Florence. She immediately called her home, hoping that someone had left a message saying they had found Chinon (whose collar has the Biback's and vet's phone numbers).

"Sure enough, a wonderful man had left a message saying he had Chinon and he left his phone number," Biback reports. "Not only that, his wife had called our vet and learned about Chinon's heart condition and they were about to go out to get the meds, and keep Chinon until we got back. But Rita, of course, immediately retrieved Chinon from them. What a wonderful family. Random acts of kindness happen every day and in all parts of the world. And Chinon had her own excellent adventure on my birthday!"
If you have a "random act of kindness" story to share, please e-mail adoyle@pcma.org.

time out
Elderhostel Combines Travel With Education
From New Hampshire to New Zealand, South Africa to South Dakota, Elderhostel offers a world of educational opportunities at exceptional values. A not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing extraordinary learning adventures for people 55 and over - its tag line is "Adventures in Lifelong Learning" - Elderhostel offers more than 8,000 all-inclusive learning adventures in all 50 states and more than 90 countries abroad. Unlike tour companies, Elderhostel offers in-depth and behind-the-scenes learning experiences for almost every interest and ability. History, culture, nature, music, outdoor activities such as walking and biking, individual skills, crafts, study cruises, are all featured.

In the 1970s, Marty Knowlton and David Bianco dreamed up Elderhostel. Knowlton, a former educator and social activist, loved to travel. He compared the vibrant roles older Europeans played in their communities to the American tradition of relatively inactive retirements. Once back from his adventure, Knowlton shared his experiences with Bianco, then an administrator at the University of New Hampshire. Bianco said that his campus should not have a youth hostel; it should have an "elder hostel." Together the two men conceived a program that would combine not-for-credit classes for older adults with comfortable and inexpensive housing.

They established Elderhostel as a nonprofit organization, and in 1975, five New Hampshire colleges and universities offered the first Elderhostel programs to 220 adventurous and pioneering participants. By 1980, more than 20,000 people were taking programs all over the United States and in Canada. In 1981, Elderhostel offered its first international programs.

Connie Goldstein, founding editor of Corporate Meetings and Incentives magazine, may be spending her retirement in sunny Sarasota, Fla., but is someone who better fits Knowlton's vibrant older citizen of Europe model. She has been on nine Elderhostel adventures. One of her favorites was to the Peabody Institute of Music in Baltimore, where she took a course on Beethoven. "We were the fortunate recipients of two piano concerts each evening presented by Peabody faculty. Housing was in a townhouse devoted to Elderhostel by Peabody and meals were provided by Marriott's Sedesco division," said Goldstein. "We followed that with an Elderhostel trip called 'The Art & Architecture of Boston' which included tickets to that year's John Singer Sergeant show at the Museum of Fine Arts. The trip was fascinating and Elderhostel always has excellent, informative lecturers."

This summer, she attended two Elderhostel programs which turned out to be her favorites. One took her to the Berkshires of Massachusetts and the other to her old stomping ground, New York City. "In the Berkshires, it was a great facility with wonderful leaders, variously interesting talks, good food, and luxurious rooms. The other trip I attended was 'Museums of New York' that featured splendid leaders, marvelous lectures, very nice people … it was beautifully organized," she said. "Elderhostel is a great way to have others do some of the planning for you, as well as a way for a single woman to have a group with which to do things."

For more information, visit www.elderhostel.org. Another site that caters to older travelers looking for good deals is www.hostelworld.com, which lists more than 10,000 worldwide hostels.