Here’s an excerpt from Allison’s article:

A floatel is what you use when you need a few thousand extra hotel rooms at your meeting destination. And Joyce Landry is the person you call to get it.

Landry’s got a line on all the major cruise ships, many of which she has booked as floating hotels (that is, floatels) for major international conferences and sporting events. CEO of Landry & Kling, Miami, Landry adds that cruise ships don’t just provide extra accommodations – they also offer supplemental meeting space.

Cruise Ship "Floatels" in Trinidad for CHOGM Global Event

To read the full article and find out how “floatels” provided infrastructure for the 2009 Summit of the Americas in Trinidad, go to www.meetingsnet.com.

In her article, Ms. Montello reminds readers that now is the time for meeting and event planners to capitalize on the value-added features of a cruise: included meals, activities, entertainment, meeting space and AV. So true! Jo referred the journalist to our cost comparison chart that clearly demonstrates how a meeting at sea can save 20 to 40 percent when compared to a comparable land venue.

Microsoft Computer Science Conference on Disney Cruise Ship

Ms. Montello also notes that cruises make a planner’s job much easier, a fact our corporate clients can attest to. With no menus to plan, entertainers to hire, spouse programs to cost out and organize, or transfers to arrange for outings, a cruise program once again saves valuable time and dollars.

We are happy that the article also includes a case-study of a Microsoft conference that Landry & Kling planned and executed on the Disney Wonder. Our client from Microsoft told us that the all-inclusive nature of the cruise made it extremely cost-effective. In fact, those going to another computer science conference at a land-based property spent twice as much as those sailing on the Disney ship.

Here’s an excerpt from Andrea Montello’s article:

A floating conference, complete with games, appearances by Minnie, Mickey, and Goofy, is more popular than ever, even in this era when price and perception are paramount. Miami-based Landry & Kling, a company that has been focusing on meetings and incentives aboard cruise ships since 1982, handled the program.

The Fourth International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games was held April 26–30, 2009 aboard the Disney Wonder and was completely sold out. Approximately 400 attended from 33 countries.

Read the full article: TheMeetingMagazines

Seasite is pleased to recommend AVW TELAV. This innovative technology company, based in Montreal, has extensive experience providing supplemental AV support on cruise ships. In 2009, sister company Landry & Kling worked directly with the company in Trinidad during two prestigious global events: V-SOA (Fifth Summit of the Americas) and CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting).

During the Summit of the Americas, AVW TELAV provided simultaneous interpretation and audio visual for media feeds and coverage in 10 rooms in four languages. In addition, they outfitted the ships’ dining rooms and specialty restaurants – not normally used for meetings – with built-in AV, including large format presentation monitors. AVW TELAV once again provided critical AV and technical support for the CHOGM event on two cruise ships that were docked in Trinidad as “floating hotels” and meeting venues. The company supplemented the cruise lines’ existing equipment with additional conferencing systems in a variety of locations onboard both vessels.

You can read more about AVW TELAV and their corporate meeting services at www.avwtelav.com, or contact us for references.