News Briefs ~ March 2010

Flaming torch is costly cocktail

VANCOUVER, CANADA — Visitors to Whistler during the 2010 Ski Season are able to reach the finish line and warm up in record time with Four Seasons Resort Whistler’s 2010 Torch cocktail (C$28), a deliciously athletic mix of pear purée, MonaVie energy drink and lemongrass-infused vodka served in a copper torch-inspired glass.

In addition to the cocktail itself, guests enjoy their own personal torch ceremony as the hotel’s Fifty Two 80 Bistro servers sweep in relay fashion from the bar to the table, delivering the flaming cocktail with dramatic flair.


A sommelier in your pocket

TORONTO—Which Canadian wines go best with “green food”, such as asparagus, peppers and peas? How about other fresh vegetables that we’ll enjoy this summer and fall?

“Green foods are the problem children of the wine world,” says Natalie MacLean, editor of Canada’s largest wine site at www.nataliemaclean.com. “But as a stubborn hedonist, I’ve found some terrific Canadian wines to drink with them.”

Natalie has just launched a new mobile application for iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry, Droid and other smartphones. Developed by Cerado, this app builds on the success of her Drinks Matcher and includes all the pairings in the original app, plus thousands of wine reviews, recipes, articles, blog posts, glossary definitions, cellar journal and winery directory.  You can access the new app for free at www.nataliemaclean.com/mobileapp.

It’s like having a sommelier in your pocket.


Face time matters

ALEXANDRIA, VA—“Face Time. It Matters.” is a grassroots industry campaign designed to promote the benefits of meeting face-to-face. The campaign was developed in response to one of the most challenging years ever faced by the meeting, convention and exhibition industries. It was based on the findings of a recent national survey of corporate and association meeting planners, plus in-depth personal interviews with the industry’s leading executives and focus groups with professional meeting planners. According to the research:
o Face-to-face meetings build trust and relationships;
o Education and training are more effective in a live setting;
o Live meetings actually save time and money;
o Live meetings result in a more effective exchange of ideas;
o Face-to-face meetings provide the human connection that powers business.
o Face-to-face meetings create jobs and powers the economy

Nine leading industry trade associations have adopted the campaign, which transpired as a result their collaboration under the aegis of the Convention Industry Council (CIC). However, all CIC member organizations will be asked to use the messages in their communications and promotion.