Aspen Meadows Resort Launches New Internet Technology For Groups, Meetings and Business Travelers

ASPEN, Colo. (December 11, 2012) — To keep ahead of the increasing demand of technology in the meeting industry, the Aspen Meadows Resort updated their internet connection speed this week from a T3 45MB to a 100MB Ethernet connection. All hotel rooms and meeting facilities at the Aspen Meadows Resort have access to the improved high speed internet bandwidth.

“As a nationally recognized meetings and conventions destination, we are in constant pursuit of the most cutting edge technology to meet all of our guests’ needs,” said Doug Crawford, Director of Sales at Aspen Meadows Resort. “We are leaders in the hospitality technology industry.”

“The additional internet bandwidth not only helps our guests have seamless, reliable internet speeds, it also helps us operationally as a resort property,” said Crawford. “This then in turn provides a positive experience for all guests and staff.”

Aspen Meadows Resort’s conference facilities are certified by the International Association of Conference Centers and the Doerr-Hosier Center is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified. For exclusive Aspen Meadows Resort meeting package offerings, visit http://www.aspenmeadows.com/meetings/packages.asp or call 970-925-4240.

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About Aspen Meadows Resort: Aspen Meadows Resort, home of the Aspen Institute, has been a mainstay in Aspen for more than 50 years.  Located on 40 scenic acres along the Roaring Fork River in the historic West End, Aspen Meadows Resort’s 98 guest suites are rich in amenities and decorated in clean and crisp Bauhaus style.  Nearly every mountain activity imaginable is found at its doorstep or can be easily arranged through guest services at the resort.  Guests at Aspen Meadows are treated to numerous amenities including complimentary high-speed wireless Internet, 24-hour shuttle service and access to the resort’s state-of-the-art health club.  A world-class meetings and conference facility, Aspen Meadows Resort boasts 22,000 square feet of International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) approved meeting space.  The 14 dedicated meeting rooms can accommodate events for groups ranging in size from 20 to 800 people.  Aspen Meadows Resort is also home to Plato’s, an intimate restaurant that offers cuisine to stimulate both the palate and the intellect. The rotating menu at Plato’s features a delectable array of internationally inspired fare created with locally and regionally sourced seasonal ingredients.

About Dolce Hotels and Resorts:  Dolce Hotels and Resorts, a privately held operator of 27 upscale hotels, resorts and conference hotels in North America and Europe founded in 1981, is majority-owned by Broadreach Capital Partners. The company, headquartered in Rockleigh, N.J., employs more than 4,000 worldwide. Additional information is available at www.dolce.com.

 

Dolce’s portfolio includes properties in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado, California, Ontario, Texas, Nevada, Belgium, France, Spain and Germany.

 

As a leader in the meetings industry, Dolce hosts some 30,000 events and 4 million group clients globally every year.  The company’s founder pioneered the conference center concept and Complete Meeting Package, both now embraced as standards by the International Association of Conference Centers.

 

The company’s vision is to create inspiring environments that bring people together, and its mission is to delight its guests, challenge its associates, reward its owners and serve as a role model in its communities.

Ford Motor Company Awards $57,000 In College Scholarships To H.S. Students

 

The Top Three Students Receiving Scholarships were all Smiles at the Ceremony

 (l-r) Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services; second place winner of $2,500 Megan Thompson; first place winner of $5,000 Gabrielle Garcia; second place winner of $2,500 Mitchell January; Ronne Froman, RADM, USN, Ret., Chairman & CEO, REBOOT and John “Mac” McLaughlin, RADM, USN, Ret., President & CEO U.S.S. Midway Museum.

Ford Fund awarded $57,000 in scholarships to 50 high school students in San Diego who have parents in active service in the military. Winners of Operation Education scholarships were announced on Dec. 4 at a ceremony aboard the USS Midway.

With support from the contest administrator, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation, student winners have been selected based on essays that answer this question: What have you learned from having a family member in the service, and how has this impacted your goals and plans for the future?

A $5,000 Blue Oval Scholarship will be awarded to the first-place winner. Second- and third-place winners will receive a scholarship of $2,500 each, and the remaining 47 winners will receive a scholarship of $1,000 each. The scholarship will be paid directly to the college or university in which the winner is enrolled.

About Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services

Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services works with community partners to advance driving safety, education and community life. The Ford Motor Company Fund has operated for more than 60 years with ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. The award-winning Ford Driving Skills for Life program teaches new drivers through a variety of hands-on and interactive methods. Innovation in education is encouraged through national programs that enhance high school learning and provide college scholarships and university grants. Through the Ford Volunteer Corps, more than 25,000 Ford employees and retirees each year work on projects that better their communities in more than 20 countries. For more information, visit http://community.ford.com.

NAACP DELIVERS HOTEL & LODGING INDUSTRY REPORT CARD

                        

                           Finds Room for Improvement in Diversity and Inclusion Practices

On November 30th, the NAACP released the findings from its Opportunities & Diversity Report Card: Hotel & Lodging Industry. Marriott International received an overall B grade — the highest rating out of all the hotels — with the remaining hotels scoring either a C+ or C. Details in the report suggests that corporate leaders in the hotel and resort industry still have far to go to ensure their workforce leadership and suppliers adequately reflect the demographics of the United States. Read the report at http://www.naacp.org/blog/entry/opportunity-and-diversity-report-card.

“The lodging industry has failed to keep pace with our diverse nation,” stated NAACP president and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “As one of the fastest growing industries in the country, the lodging industry has opportunities for entry level positions, senior management positions, ownership and supplier diversity – a full spectrum of economic opportunity.”

The report card reveals that procurement with minority businesses is at unacceptably low numbers throughout the hotel and lodging industry. Of the corporations graded in this report, who provided significant property data, only 8% of total dollars spent for goods and services went to companies owned by people of color and a dismal 1% went to African-American owned companies. The report also notes that the corporate leaders in the hotel and lodging industry do not collect diversity data for their franchised properties meaning that most leading hotel corporations do not have data on the majority of their properties.

“With economic inequality at its highest levels in recent decades, it is important that the hotel and lodging industry provide access to jobs with livable wages, long-term career possibilities and contract opportunities for minority owned businesses particularly in African-American and other economically disenfranchised communities,” stated Dedrick Muhammad, NAACP senior director of Economic Programs.

The NAACP’s Report Card graded the five largest hotels (Marriott, Wyndam, Hyatt, Starwood and Hilton) against the standard rate of industry inclusion. The letter grades are based on three main criteria: 1) workforce and job advancement, 2) contracting and procurement, and 3) ownership (if and where applicable).

“The report card should serve as both an eye opener and a tool to encourage the graded corporations to strengthen job creation and wealth building opportunities for disenfranchised minorities,” stated Leonard James, National NAACP Board member and chair of the Economic Development Committee. “The NAACP looks forward to collaborating with these corporate leaders and diversity advocates over the next several years to advance industry inclusion, at all levels.”

In the Hotel and Lodging industry the NAACP is asking for the leading hotel and lodging corporations to require hotel franchisees to report EE01 data, which would capture diversity in the workforce in all hotels. Bridging racial economic inequality is fundamental to strengthening America’s economy for the future and the NAACP looks forward to working with corporate, government, labor, and diversity leaders in this effort.

This report card marks the re-launch of the NAACP’s economic report cards on corporate diversity and inclusion. The focus of the Opportunity and Diversity Report Card is to examine and grade the largest companies on their representation of African-Americans and people of color as a whole with respect to workforce, supplier diversity and ownership. In addition to grading corporations on their diversity, the report cards highlight opportunities in the industry and the specific programs designed to strengthen people of color’s full participation in the industry.

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors. 

Free Training Offered By PATA Chapter

(Thursday, December 6, 2012 – Tumon, Guam) The Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) will host the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Micronesia Chapter Quarterly Membership Meeting next week. Several dozen guests and Chapter Delegates representing the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands and Republic of Palau are expected to arrive in Guam to attend. The general membership meeting, PATA Chapter Elections for 2013-2014 and various PATA committee meetings will take place December 11-12, 2012 at the Outrigger Guam Resort.

CHRIS FLYNN

The public is urged to register and attend “PATAmPower,” a free training seminar that will be presented by Chris Flynn, PATA Regional Director, Pacific, on Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 2:00PM at the Outrigger Resort Guam. PATAmPower is an interactive tool that aggregates travel and tourism information relevant to the Asia Pacific region and presents it to users in a “one-stop-Shop,” in a dynamic format and on demand. The free training seminar has been made possible by Guam Small Business Development Center in partnership with Guam Visitors Bureau and PATA Micronesia.

Chris Flynn has 30 years of experience in international and domestic tourism having held senior appointments within the airline, deluxe hotel, and high profile entertainment industries. Mr. Flynn has vast operational experience operating in regions such as UK, Europe, United States, Asia and the Pacific.

“We are excited to be welcoming Regional Director Flynn and representatives of PATA International to Guam,” said GVB General Manager Joann Camacho. “PATA remains an important partner in our efforts to market Guam and the Micronesian region. Our islands collectively show the uniqueness of our people and PATA helps us to show that to the rest of the world.”

Founded in Honolulu in 1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is an international, non-profit membership organization whose mission is to contribute to the growth, value and quality of travel and tourism to and within the Pacific-Asia area on behalf of its members. Today, PATA is a global organization, covering over one third of the globe and represented through dozens of regional and satellite chapters. The Micronesia chapter of PATA was established in 1986 as a result of increasing tourism interests in the region. Today, PATA Micronesia has over 100 members from both the public and private sectors.

For more information about the upcoming PATA Micronesia Chapter Membership meeting or to pre-register for the free PATAmPower seminar, please contact Elaine Pangelinan at (671) 648-1505 or via email at elaine.pangelinan@visitguam.org. Seating is limited so act now.

Royal Caribbean Expands Partnership

More Vacationers Worldwide Can Enjoy the DreamWorks Experience on Royal Caribbean

MIAMI, Dec. 04, 2012 – Vacationers of all ages will have more choices to join in the high-seas hijinks of Pandas, Ogres, Lions, Dragons and other beloved characters with a knack for adventure and comedy. Royal Caribbean International and DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (NASDAQ: DWA)  today announced the extension of their groundbreaking alliance, as well as the expansion of The DreamWorks Experience to a sixth-ship, Mariner of the Seas, when she arrives in the Far East in May 2013. The DreamWorks Experience was first launched aboard Allure of the Seas in November 2010, with beloved character Princess Fiona of the “Shrek” franchise inaugurating the ship as godmother, and continues to impress guests and receive accolades. The award-winning entertainment has since been expanded aboard Oasis of the Seas, sailing from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Freedom of the Seas from Port Canaveral on Florida’s Space Coast; Liberty of the Seas, which splits her year between Port Everglades and Barcelona, Spain; and recently, Voyager of the Seas in the Far East and Australia and New Zealand.
            “Royal Caribbean is the only cruise line to offer the DreamWorks Experience to vacationers throughout the world and we are delighted to expand our partnership with DreamWorks,” said Lisa Bauer, executive vice president of Global Sales and Marketing, Royal Caribbean International. “The DreamWorks Experience really resonates with our guests since we launched it aboard Allure of the Seas. We worked with DreamWorks Animation to create an incomparable entertainment experience for our guests, no matter what their age, and their feedback has been nothing short of stellar.”
            The DreamWorks Experience premiered aboard Allure of the Seas when the ship launched in late 2010 and uniquely features Let You Entertain Me: The Madagascar Aqua Show in the ship’s AquaTheater and How to Train Your Dragon Ice Show in Studio B ice rink. The ship also hosted South Florida’s Puss in Boots premier in 2011, attended by stars Selma Hayek and Antonio Banderas.
            “Royal Caribbean continues to be the perfect host for the DreamWorks Experience and this expansion agreement ensures that more and more fans will have the opportunity to interact with our characters and properties,” said Kerry Phelan, Head of Worldwide Licensing for DreamWorks Animation.
            Already, more vacationers around the world are reveling in the spectacular colorful parades and surprise character appearances, as part of the DreamWorks Experience, with the debut of Voyager of the Seas in the Far East and Australia and New Zealand. Having just completed her first season sailing from China, Voyager of the Seas arrived in Sydney this past November to combine the DreamWorks Experience with unforgettable South Pacific cruises and cruisetours.
            Year-round, vacationers can join in the DreamWorks Experience aboard Freedom of the Seas, sailing weekly from Port Canaveral along Florida’s Space Coast, and Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. Furthermore, Liberty of the Seas exclusively offers the DreamWorks Experience in the Mediterranean Sea in the summer season and is a fourth Caribbean option in the winter season.
            Every Royal Caribbean ship with the DreamWorks Experience features parades, themed activities and events based on DreamWorks Animation’s popular feature-film characters, including Po of “Kung Fu Panda;” Shrek, Fiona and Puss In Boots of “Shrek;” and Alex the Lion, Gloria the Hippo, and the Penguins from “Madagascar.” Each ship also is equipped with a 3-D movie theater playing the latest DreamWorks Animation films, such as the summer blockbuster “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted in 3-D.”
            Royal Caribbean’s younger guests in the complimentary award-winning Adventure Ocean children’s program can relish in an exhilarating line-up of activities, games and adventures rooted in the popular DreamWorks Animation films. Guests of all ages can meet their favorite DreamWorks characters over the DreamWorks Character breakfast in the main dining room and take advantage of plenty of photo opportunities throughout the day. Additionally, guests can enjoy DreamWorks Animation programming on a dedicated RCTV channel in every stateroom.
About DreamWorks Animation
            DreamWorks Animation creates high-quality entertainment, including CG animated feature films, television specials and series and live entertainment properties, meant for audiences around the world. The Company has world-class creative talent, a strong and experienced management team and advanced filmmaking technology and techniques. DreamWorks Animation has been named one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" by FORTUNE® Magazine for four consecutive years. In 2012, DreamWorks Animation ranks #14 on the list. All of DreamWorks Animation's feature films are now being produced in 3D. The Company has theatrically released a total of 24 animated feature films, including the franchise properties of Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon. The Company's theatrical releases for the current year are Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted on June 8, 2012 and Rise of the Guardians on November 21, 2012.
About Royal Caribbean International
            Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand with 22 innovative ships, calling on more than 270 destinations in 72 countries across six continents. The line also offers unique cruise tour land packages in Alaska, Canada, Dubai, Europe, and Australia and New Zealand.
            Royal Caribbean provides a world-class vacation experience with a wide range of signature onboard amenities, entertainment, and award-winning family programming. The cruise line has a 40-year history of giving guests the Royal Advantage – the most innovative cruise ships, exciting itineraries to popular destinations, and world-renowned friendly and engaging Gold Anchor Service. Royal Caribbean has been voted “Best Cruise Line Overall” for nine consecutive years in the Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards. For additional information or to make reservations, call your travel agent, visit www.RoyalCaribbean.com or call (800) ROYAL-CARIBBEAN. Follow Royal Caribbean on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/RoyalCaribbean or on Twitter, @RoyalCaribbean. Travel professionals should visit www.cruisingpower.com or call (800) 327-2056. Media can find information at www.royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com.
            Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE/OSX: RCL) is a global cruise vacation company that owns Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur, Azamara Club Cruises and CDF Croisières de France, as well as TUI Cruises through a 50 percent joint venture.  Together, these six brands operate a combined total of 41 ships with three under construction.