'Mexico: It's Exotic. It's Unique. It's Next Door.' Be Seen There.

More than 100 planners who attended this year's Mexico & Latin America Showcase & Travel Expo held in Cancun, April 26-30, experienced what makes Mexico unique: its Yucatecan cuisine, jungles where you can swim in hidden cenotes, and a fascinating wealth of history left behind by the ancient Mayan civilization.

The hotel scene in Cancun, the country's most popular destination, is getting more and more exciting. According to Arturo Escaip Manzur, CEO of the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau, "Our entire destination has been rebuilt, remodeled, and revitalized, and now three out of every four hotel rooms are rated five stars or better."

ME by Melia has just joined Cancun's impressive hotel scene. From the cucumber and melon scent that wafts through the lobby to the property-wide techno music, this is more than just a place to stay, it is a place to be seen. There is one of Mexico's largest infinity-edged pools; "The Level," an entire adult-oriented floor with a private lounge; and contemporary design.

Another Mexican destination growing in popularity is Riviera Maya, where glittering blue-green waters meet sugary beaches. Meeting-goers mingle with vacationers at the Paradisus Riviera Cancun, an all-inclusive resort that stretches along a lush tropical mangrove preserve on a 5,000-foot-long coastline with a beach protected by the second largest coral reef formation in the world. Nearby are the seaside ruins of Tulum, jungle-clad pyramids of Coba, and other Mayan sites.

Xcaret, a 250-acre ecological theme park that showcases and helps preserve the Caribbean coast's natural environment shouldn't be missed. Available for group functions, Xcaret is built around ancient Mayan ruins, and features a museum, four restaurants, a Mayan village with actors re-creating the life of the villagers of 1,000 years ago; and a night show where Mayan people perform ceremonial dances and rituals.

The expo featured Mexican exhibitors from states including Oaxaca, Tabasco, Veracruz, Yucatan, Tamaulipas, Puebla, Sinaloa, Chihuahua, and Latin American countries including Guatemala, El Salvador, and Cuba. The Ministry of Tourism for El Salvador hosted a dinner presentation that highlighted its strong infrastructure for hosting meetings and conventions.

According to Andy Ortiz, president of the showcase and managing director of Mexican destination management company Global Incentive, the showcase gave "planners the opportunity to reconnect, do business, learn about new products, and participate in professional development workshops."

Industry Brief

Long Beach CVB Debuts Web Site for Planners

The Long Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau launched a new Web site in April to promote the city and provide information and assistance to meeting planners and conventioneers. "Our team interviewed many professional meeting planners to better understand their needs and wishes, and those of their clients and convention attendees," said Steve Goodling, president & CEO of the Long Beach CVB. The new site utilizes the latest Web design technology featuring customized interactive micro sites that cater specifically to convention and meeting planners by providing the opportunity to communicate messages directly to their attendees, and customized videos that include the name of convention groups and special events. www.visitlongbeach.com