September 16, 2008 by Chris Harrower, CTIS.

Back home again, after Virginia Motorcoach Association’s annual convention at the new Gaylord National in DC…a very surprising weekend!

Biggest surprise of the weekend? No, it’s not how badly I played golf (that was a given)…it was how badly the Gaylord botched their handling of the convention! For a property that’s always been top notch for past conventions I’ve attended at the Opryland and the Texan, VMA was a mess for them! Examples? Sure…how about:

· Not having the Marketplace room ready on time, and making everyone (Operators, group leaders and suppliers) wait nearly 30 minutes until it was ready.

· Letting their serving team clear dishes (with plenty of loud clanking and banging) while entertainment was going on in the same room.

· Taking a site visit from a potential future customer right through the room while the annual Awards Dinner was in progress.

· Losing plenty of packages that were shipped in advance, then creating some of the absolute lamest excuses ever heard (bottles of wine for the convention were found in the housekeeping area; a lost package was found 5 days after they signed for it’s receipt, but the supplier was expected to pay shipping and a handling fee to have it shipped back; others were just never found, even though UPS had proof of delivery).

And there was plenty more, but the point is made. The hotel is beautiful (as all Gaylord properties are), the hotel staff was very good, but the convention staff was very poor. It was like you were entering a completely different property when you walked down the short hall connecting the hotel to the convention center. I know they will get everything fixed in short order, and most definitely before ABA goes in there in 16 months!

Of course, the highlight for many (their words, not just mine) was a special performance by Amanda Carlisle, who had just completed a run as Maria in our production of The Sound of Music. She was driving home on Sunday, so she was able to stop by and sing a few songs for the assembled attendees. Absolutely delightful…she told some great stories about life on stage, sang like the proverbial bird, and enthralled everyone with her professionalism, her abilities, and, of course, her voice.

And now we’re hard at work here…September 27-30, 2009, VMA will be in Lancaster County!  Staying at Willow Valley, visiting certain theatres (and maybe some other properties), and getting everyone excited about the area once again.  We’ve already come up with some phenomenal ideas, so if you’re a VMA member, clear the time on your calendar now!  If you’re not a VMA member, it’s only $200 a year to join, so come join us for a huge Lancaster County Party next September!!

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September 3, 2008 by Chris Harrower, CTIS.

Really? It’s been that long since I posted something here? Oops…sorry. Just been very busy here lately, after a very quiet summer.

It started with IMG in Chantilly, VA in early August. Great seeing everyone again, and talking about where the business is heading from here. Lots of “forward thinkers” at IMG, and it’s good to hear from their fertile minds!

GLAMER came next, in Harrisburg and Washington, DC. Low turnout in DC, but overall good shows.

And then off to Charlotte for the ABA Orientation Center committee meeting. What a jammed couple of days…the meetings were extremely productive, the committee is extremely dedicated, and Charlotte is extremely ready! I’m already so jazzed…some of the events planned for January already have my motor running! The evening at Lowes Motor Speedway is going to be a real thrill, the sightseeing tour featuring the Petty Driving Experience will be amazing, and I’ve already put together my team for the Bowling Event.

Yep…bowling. This year, the MAC Gives Back effort is for Breast Cancer research and elimination. The first night, we’re holding a bowling tournament to raise funds, and since I’m part of MAC by being on the OC committee, I’ve already invited members of my gang to bowl with me for this cause. I’m thrilled that we’ll have a couple of Operators on my team. In fact, we had so many who wanted to be on the team that we may start a second team, with me captaining one, and Emi captaining the other.

The entire concept of MAC Gives Back is so important…we frequently visit these towns for conventions, and don’t do anything to thank the community for their overwhelming support. Steve Haddad got this started in Grapevine, and it should continue for many years to come. It is so important to give something back when someone takes good care of you, and I look forward to giving back to Charlotte!

Virginia Motorcoach is next on the docket, at the new Gaylord National in Washington DC (ok…it’s in National Harbor, but since that “town” doesn’t appear on any map or GPS yet, we’ll just call it DC). I can’t wait to see this place…having stayed at the Gaylord Opryland and the Gaylord Texan, I’m sure it’s going to be spectacular. If you’re there, come say “hi”, and if you’re playing golf, have mercy! I’ve played once in the last 19 years, so I’m sure it will be a very sad site to behold.

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