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| Meetings to a tee |
March 6, 2002 |
Business executives expect conference facilities to be comfortable and to provide top-quality service. More than that, though, these same executives also want to stay connected while at meetings, and maybe to have a little fun when the business is done.
The good news is that modern conference facilities are increasingly becoming tech-enabled. And after the meetings and presentations are completed, the networking can continue on the golf course.
In Canada, there are many locales that will fit your business needs to a “tee.” In Ontario, these include Blue Mountain and Horseshoe Resort. In 1941, the Czech-born Jozo Weider began operating the Blue Mountain ski resort, which featured a trail and a lift with two sleds. Today, the site—located 90 minutes north of Toronto and 11 kilometres west of Collingwood—is Ontario’s largest mountain and conference resort. It hosts about threequarters of a million visitors during its summer and winter seasons; Paul Pinchbeck, director of marketing, predicts that the number of visitors will expand to two million by 2010.
Up to 675 people can be hosted at Blue Mountain’s conference rooms, which include facilities at the Blue Mountain Inn (featuring the 9,000 square-foot Conference Centre), the Monterra Pavilion and the Central Base Lodge (the latter is changing its name to Village, as it is adjacent to the new 141-acre village in development at the base of Blue Mountain).
These tech-enabled spaces provide an excellent business and presentation environment. Features include high-speed Internet access, videoconferencing and ISDN capabilities. “All of the conference rooms are wired into our (communications) backbone at our resort,” Pinchbeck said.
In addition, Blue Mountain has introduced wireless capabilities.
During one recent event, Internet content was brought via the backbone through a wireless LAN to an outdoor venue in Blue Mountain’s Village.
The content was then displayed on a television screen.
Guest rooms also feature Internet access via in-room entertainment systems, and dialup capabilities are available.
According to Pinchbeck, the resort’s facilities have been a hit with business clientele. “I think the access to technology has become a strong selling point for conferences in general, no matter where they are,” he said.
Pinchbeck notes that Blue Mountain’s conference business results in more than 25,000 room nights each year.
After the meetings, attendees can also relax and network on the Monterra Golf course. The site, which opened in 1989, has been ranked as a top-10 Canadian resort course and also has received certification as an Audubon sanctuary. The 18-hole course is 6,500 yards, and allows for driving, chipping and putting throughout the business day.
Another Ontario location for conference and recreational needs is the Horseshoe Resort, just one hour north of Toronto, near Barrie. The 20-year-old resort offers seven serviceable meeting rooms, which accommodate groups ranging from 10 to 250 people.
Each meeting room has a dial-up system for Internet access, and high-speed access should be available soon. “We recognize the importance of high speed, and we’re moving in that direction,” said general manager Richard Cassara.
Other features include conference-call capabilities, and boardrooms host built-in televisions that have VCR, MP3 and DVD/CD-RW functionality. A speaker can copy a presentation to a disc and run it on the DVD player.
“That’s a very popular feature,” Cassara said. “Just copying it onto a disc and taking that with you makes life a whole lot easier.” For those who want to stick with a laptop-based, PowerPoint presentation, audio-visual support is available.
Horseshoe also features a business centre with a full array of office services, including fax machines, copiers and Internet access. And guest rooms include dial-up Internet access and plenty of workspace. The resort’s offerings have proven popular: according to Cassara, conferences comprise 55 per cent of Horseshoe’s revenues.
Horseshoe also features two golf courses for after-meeting fun. The 18-hole Valley course is 6,600 yards. Meanwhile, the Highlands course is nine holes, but will expand to 18 holes and more than 7,000 yards this summer.
“When a company spends money to bring a group of people to the resort and train them, they understand that they need to provide a fun environment as well,” said Horseshoe’s Cassara. “Facilities like ours allow us to offer both sides.”
“Not only can you get down to the business and technical aspects of running a conference, but also the relaxation and team aspects that come during and after a conference,” added Blue Mountain’s Pinchbeck.
Corporate rates are available at both resorts. For more information, please visit http://www.bluemountain.ca or http://www.horseshoeresort.com
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