WHERE TO MEET, PLAY, AND EAT: COSTA RICA
By Andrea Doyle
Parador Resort & Spa
This 129-room rainforest property offers panoramic views of the Pacific and Manuel Antonio with four restaurants, three pools, and a wide array of nature and adventure tours. Meeting space includes a conference room for up to 64 and an eight-person executive board room.
Rain Forest Adventures - Costa Rica
An ecotourism pioneer, this organization came onto the scene in 1994 and now has a location on each coast. Costa Rica Pacific, located just outside the beach town of Jaco, offers a waterfall climb, Serpentarium, and ziplines. Costa Rica Atlantic includes a butterfly and frog garden, bird watching, ziplines, and trekking tours.
El Avión
This casual seafood bar and restaurant, which also offers live music, is built around a 1954 Fairchild C-123 American military transport aircraft. When it was moved from the San Jose International Airport to Costa Verde, the aircraft had to be dismantled piece by piece and reassembled.
The world's attention will move to Brazil beginning June 12, as the country hosts the World Cup
Latin America is a region to watch. As more U.S.-based companies extend their global reach, many are establishing offices in Latin America's key markets -- Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil among them -- and holding meetings and conventions throughout the region.
"Latin America is a very underappreciated market," says Eli Gorin, an expert in the Latin American meetings industry, as well as managing director of Hospitality Growth Partners, an Aventura, FL-based hospitality consulting firm. "No matter the type of industry that the companies or associations holding meetings in the region may be from, there is something for everyone in Latin America that will absolutely fit the goals and objectives of their programs."
Gorin notes, "Some of the destinations really making headway in the industry include Mexico, Colombia, Panama, Brazil, and Argentina. All [Latin American] countries are really making an effort to attract more meetings and events business, but I've seen a tremendous amount of growth in the marketplace in those countries."
Colombia is working to bring more meetings to the region as part of the Pacific Alliance, a Latin American trade bloc established with Chile, Mexico, and Peru in 2012. Costa Rica is currently in the process of joining the alliance as well.
"We're working together with all of these governments so that planners can talk to us and find out what it's really like to have a meeting in our countries," says Claudia Davila, tourism director - USA for Proexport Colombia. "Latin America is a growing and trending destination. We are not third world; we are just different, and we offer experiences that you can't have anywhere else."
Gorin agrees, pointing out that Latin America is full of vibrant cultures, modern metropolises, and a blend of the Old World with the new that makes for a great fit with meetings groups. A case in point: Mexico City.
"You have so much diversity here, from attractions and facilities to beautiful colonial sites for events," says Guillermo Valencia, general manager of the Presidente InterContinental Mexico City hotel. "Many of these sites, some of them palaces, have been converted into museums and event venues."
Those special, one-of-a-kind opportunities, combined with Latin America's close ties to the U.S., are especially attractive for U.S.-based meeting groups, says Davila.
"Latin America, while being very culturally distinct and unique, is also very influenced by the U.S., and we share many of the same values and consumer attitudes that the U.S. has," says Davila. That level of familiarity, she suggests, makes it easier for U.S.-based organizations to do business in the region.
Adding to the convenience of the region is that there's no jetlag traveling between the U.S. and Latin America since they share time zones, and speaking English is rarely a problem since most major Latin American cities have bilingual populations.
"[Meeting] opportunities abound throughout the entire region," Gorin adds. "There are also some major financial benefits in various destinations because the dollar may still go a long way, although that's not necessarily the case everywhere."
Brazil Takes the Spotlight
One such Latin American destination that is investing heavily in its tourism and business development is Brazil. On June 12, the entire world will be looking at the country as it hosts the 2014 FIFA World Cup. That international focus will continue through 2016 when Rio de Janeiro hosts the Summer Olympics.
"I'm not sure you'll have room to publish all of our new developments," says Vicente Neto, president of Embratur (the Brazilian tourist board). "Just for the World Cup, we have 12 stadiums, including new and refurbished arenas, and new public transportation options that include airports, light-rail systems, subways, rapid transit buses, as well as new accommodations."
Neto adds that gearing up to host the 2016 Olympics in Rio means the country will continue working to improve its transportation hubs throughout the country, as well as add more hotels and meeting facilities. The city also expects to see a major modernization of its telecommunications sector.
This month, Brazil welcomes the 298-room Sheraton Reserva do Paiva Hotel & Convention Center, located in Cabo de Santo Agostinho, on the southern coast of Pernambuco. The hotel is approximately 30 minutes from the city center of Recife, and will have more than 29,000 square feet of meeting space, all occupying a single floor.
The benefits of meeting in Brazil, Neto says, are innumerable, but he notes that the country's variety makes it an ideal meeting destination. "As the biggest country in South America, Brazil has a major diversity of options to host meetings," he says. "From Manaus in the heart of the Amazon forest, to Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has almost as many options for U.S.-based organizations as the U.S. itself."
For example, Neto points out, Sao Paolo has been described as "the New York of Latin America" due to its level of technology and financial know-how. At the same time, over in Rio, attendees can enjoy the combination of laid-back beach lifestyle and venues capable of hosting small- or large-scale events.
Matters of Safety
One concern some planners have regarding meetings in Latin America relates to safety. Here's what Hospitality Growth Partners' Eli Gorin and Embratur's Vicente Neto have to say about safety concerns.
"The issues that people assume will be problematic, for the most part, are caused by misconceptions they may have. There are very real issues in the region -- just like anywhere else in the world -- but what you see on the news is not a widespread truth throughout the entire region," says Gorin.
He adds, "One great example is Colombia: People still have this wild perception of major drug wars going on there like they were in the '80s and '90s. Nowadays, it's a whole other country. Likewise, the violence and issues that happen in Mexico are not widespread across the country."
"Brazil is safe," says Neto. "There's a huge misconception that the whole country is unsafe, but it's not true. Like the U.S., Brazil has cities of all sizes. Like any other big city in the U.S., there are places in Brazil that, over the years, have experienced negative perceptions because of certain incidents that have happened. But those incidents are not a reflection of the whole country."
To determine if a destination is safe for your group, Gorin stresses the importance of research. "Reach out to the destinations to get the on-the-ground view of what's really happening," he says. "Ask them what's being done to curb any crime issues. What does the infrastructure look like? I guarantee people will be pleasantly surprised with what they may find." He adds, "You can't expect every destination to have the same things that you have back home. As one of my favorite sayings goes, 'If you want things done the way they are at home, stay at home!'"
The Charms of Colombia
Brazil's neighbor to the West, Colombia, is also making huge investments in business development. Last year, more than 3.7 million foreign travelers visited Colombia, an increase of 7 percent from the previous year, and the country saw a 51-percent increase in the number of foreign business travelers who came to Colombia in 2013 over 2012.
It's not unusual for visitors to spot a construction crane in the skylines of both Bogota and Cartagena and, this year, many new properties will be added. They include the Four Points by Sheraton Bogota (opening in July); Four Points by Sheraton Barranquilla (opening in September); the 168-room W Bogota (slated to open in September); and the 280-room InterContinental Cartagena de Indias Hotel (scheduled to open mid-2014).
"Marriott just opened in Cali (82 rooms), and Radisson just opened in Cartagena," adds Davila. "Hyatt should be open soon, too," she says, referring to the upcoming 250-room Hyatt Regency Cartagena and the 297-room Grand Hyatt Bogota. "We're getting more and more meetings all the time, and we keep growing."
Davila also says that increased airlift from the U.S. to Colombia is bringing more meeting groups to the country. On July 17, Avianca will begin nonstop service from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Colombia three times per week. "Connectivity is growing," she says.
Three cities, in particular, that are attracting MICE groups are Bogota, Medellin, and Cartagena. "Bogota has so many facilities and great hotels; Medellin is popular with companies in the technology, software, and clothing industries; and Cartagena is a beautiful, tropical destination with a lot of history and great hotels," says Davila.
A brand-new convention center, the Agora Bogota, is scheduled to open in the capital city of Bogota in 2015 with 269,098 square feet of space, a main hall that can accommodate up to 4,000 attendees, and a 200-room hotel that will be located within walking distance of the center. The Agora is just one of many convention center facilities to be found in Bogota.
Davila also emphasizes the financial value of meeting in Colombia as a major selling point for meetings. "Price is a big factor," she says. "Food and beverage costs, on average, are about 60 percent lower than they are in the U.S. and A/V costs are about 80 percent lower than they are in the U.S. Breakfast is almost always included in the hotel rates, too."
More in Mexico City
In Mexico City, properties such as the Presidente InterContinental Mexico City are seeing increased MICE business from the U.S. "This year, we've had groups from Los Angeles and San Diego, and we also hosted the annual worldwide meeting for Grupo Modelo [makers of Corona, Modelo, and Pacifico beers]," says Valencia. "MICE keeps growing year over year for this hotel."
The 661-room hotel, which has hosted dignitaries such as President Barack Obama, is currently undergoing a major two-year renovation of all of its guest rooms and meeting spaces. The project began in September and is slated for completion by the fall of 2015, and includes the renovation of function rooms and meeting spaces. The hotel has 213,500 square feet of meeting space.
New hotel development in Mexico City is also contributing to increased MICE business. "In Mexico City, the hotel industry is growing, especially in Santa Fe, a new financial district that's located about 20 or 30 minutes from Polanco, where our hotel is," Valencia explains. "They've recently built a number of new hotels out there that include the Sheraton, Westin, InterContinental, JW Marriott, and the Hilton. The city is really growing in terms of hotel capacity."
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