With the announcement of a complete renovation of its conference center, once again the Millennium Broadway Hotel is setting new standards for meeting facilities among New York’s finest hotels. On September 1, Millennium Broadway unveiled the first stage of a new vision for its Conference Center that, when completed in March 2007, will dramatically enhance the hotel’s stature as one of the leading meeting destinations in New York City.

 

When the Millennium Conference Center, the only IACC-approved facility in New York, first opened in 1989, it represented a trend-setting concept in meeting facilities. Now, twenty years later, the company envisions a new “star” on Broadway. “Our goal is to set a new standard for meeting facilities in New York,” said Per Hellman, vice president and general manager of Millennium Broadway.

 

As a sign of things to come, Millennium Broadway management unveiled a completely renovated 4^th floor this September. A new, dramatic sense of arrival was created by adding major artistic elements and new contemporary lighting to enhance high-end contemporary finishes. From the elevator, the meeting guest’s first impression shaped by new cast-glass panels suspended from the ceiling. Designed by the nationally known glass artist, B J Katz, each panel is multi-textured with waves of color applied in artistic patterns.  A new, central 12-foot diameter four-color marble floor pattern is in green, gold, rust and black. New textured rust and gold carpeting and concealed lighting further enhance the beauty of African mahogany paneling.

 

At the north end of the fourth floor, four mid-sized meeting rooms were demolished to create a single large meeting room with all the latest in technology, including a multi-directional LCD projector that drops down from the ceiling. Ideal for meetings or events, the large room features thick textured carpet in copper and gold, wood-paneled walls with anigre veneer and tackable panels wrapped in a textured gold fabric and enhanced with accent lights and four textured and colored glass panels suspended below backlit ceiling coffers.

 

The ten existing meeting rooms on the fourth floor were each refurbished in either a copper or gold color scheme.  By combining black accents used on tables and chairs with the copper and gold finishes, the rooms have been transformed into a very smart contemporary palette.

 

In the next phase of the renovation which will be completed in December, a new 6th floor meeting and event room will receive similar design changes, converting it from office space to new meeting venue.  The other six conference center floors will also be renovated with the same design and completed by March 2007.

 

The Millennium Broadway’s conference facilities include 110,000 square feet of space on seven floors as well as a fully staffed Business Center. In addition to almost 45 flexible meeting and event rooms, conference planners have the unique benefit of using the newly restored, magnificently decorated Hudson theatre, one of New York’s most historic venues, which accommodates up to 700 theater-style. Distinctive catering is another differentiator at the Millennium Broadway, the new award-winning executive chef, Brendan Slaven, is bringing gourmet cuisine to meeting participants with spectacular lunch buffet that changes daily.

 

To make it even easier for conference organizers to arrange meetings at the Millennium Broadway, the property offers a special Conference Center Package which starts at $195 (excluding taxes) for a full day meeting, per attendee.  The package includes:

 

• Continental breakfast
• Morning & afternoon refreshment breaks
• Buffet lunch in Club dining room
• Bottled water, candy, tissues, pads and pens in meeting rooms
• General session room
• Basic A/V equipment
• Dedicated meeting planner

 

From the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade to the New Year’s Eve Celebration in Times Square, New York City offers magical moments this holiday season. Visitors to the Big Apple are bound to have tons of fun this winter with a rich variety of colorful festivals, exciting events, dazzling displays of lights, incredible shopping and more in all five boroughs.

Thanksgiving
Kick the season off in style at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which celebrates its 77th year on November 23. Join the crowds to watch floats, marching bands and giant balloons of favorite cartoon characters as they make their way to Herald Square (212-494-4495, www.macys.com).
Visitors to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum can show appreciation by creating a colorful Tree of Thanks on November 18 or making Thanksgiving treats on November 25 (www.brooklynkids.org, 718-735-4400).

A Spin on the Ice
The rink at Rockefeller Center is a holiday favorite (212-664-3700, www.rockefellercenter.com), and the Pond at Bryant Park is a state-of-the art ice rink that is free of charge to guests who bring their own skates (212-768-4242, www.bryantpark.org). The two rinks in Central Park—Lasker Rink (212-534-7639, www.nyc.govparks.org) and Wollman Rink (212-439-6900, www.wollmanrink.com) are spectacularly scenic, as is the Kate Wollman Rink (718-282-7789, www.nycgovparks.org) in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. On Staten Island, Clove Lake Park is home to the Staten Island War Memorial Ice Skating Rink (718-720-1010, www.nycgovparks.org).

For those that prefer to stay indoors, try the Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers where you can skate 24 hours a day (212-336-6666, www.chelseapiers.com), and the World’s Fair Ice Skating Rink in Queens (718-271-1996).

Bright Lights, Big City
Holiday lights shine in the City that Never Sleeps. The Empire State Building salutes the holidays with red and green lights for Christmas and blue and white for Hanukkah (212-736-3100, www.esbnyc.com).

Head to the Bronx Zoo for Holiday Lights where zoo exhibits, entertainment and miles of tree and architectural lighting create an extraordinary experience. The exhibit is open weekends only from November 17 to December 17, and nightly December 18 to January 1 (718-367-1010, www.bronxzoo.com).

The beautiful sky ceiling at Grand Central Terminal comes to life with the Holiday Laser Light Show. One of six unique five-minute shows will grace the terminal ceiling every half hour from 11am until 9pm throughout December (212-340-2210, www.grandcentralterminal.com).

Shopping Wonderland
This season, shoppers will find the perfect presents by artists, craftsmen and importers at holiday markets at Grand Central Terminal (212-340-2347, www.grandcentralterminal.com), Bryant Park (212-472-1522, www.fetesdenoel.com) and Union Square (212-460-1200, www.unionsquarenyc.org). Visitors can also bring home a Big Apple treasure from the Christmas Cottage (212-333-7380, www.thechristmascottage.com).

The wonderful window displays are also a spectacular sight not to be missed with stunning settings at beloved New York City department stores Bloomingdale’s (212-705-2098, www.bloomingdales.com), Macy’s Herald Square (212-695-4400, www.macys.com), Lord & Taylor (212-391-3344 www.lordandtaylor.com) and Saks Fifth Avenue (212-753-4000, www.saks.com).

Oh Christmas Tree
Trees of all shapes and sizes abound in New York City. The American Museum of Natural History presents the delightfully decorated Origami Holiday Tree from November 20 to January 1, 2007 (212-769-5100, www.amnh.org), while the city’s most famous tree lights up with much fanfare on November 28 during the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting (212-332-6868, www.rockefellercenter.com). Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts gets into the spirit November 27 with the lighting of the Lincoln Center Tree during the Winter’s Eve celebration (212-875-5456, www.lincolncenter.org). The festivities at South Street Seaport include the Chorus Tree, a 50-foot structure that serves as a 3-D stage for the Big Apple Chorus, performing six times each weekend in December (212-732-7678, www.southstreetseaport.com).

Carols, Concerts and Celebrations
Debuting in New York City this holiday season, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical will entertain audiences of all ages at the Hilton Theater from November 8 through January 7, 2007 (Box Office: 212-556-4750).

The Rockettes return to Radio City Music Hall November 9 to December 30 for the 74th Annual Radio City Christmas Spectacular, a high-energy production that is a New York City classic (212-307-1000, www.radiocity.com).

In the Bronx, the New York Botanical Garden hosts its annual Holiday Train Show November 18 through January 1 at the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. The annual event will feature more than 100 replicas of historic New York buildings, railway trains and trolleys (718-817-8700, www.nybg.org).

Sugar plum fairies dance across the stage at the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center as the New York City Ballet performs George Balachine’s The Nutcracker November 24 to December 30 (212-870-5660, www.nycballet.org). Carnegie Hall hosts the New York Pops Holiday Celebration December 15 to 16 and the renowned Vienna Boys Choir will pay their annual visit to the legendary landmark in December (212-247-7800, www.carnegiehall.org).

Visit one of New York City’s most notable neighborhoods during the
2006 Sorrento Cheese Christmas in Little Italy taking place over the first three weekends of December with festive decorations, Christmas parades, colorful floats and holiday music filling the streets and restaurants (212-302-0551, www.littleitalynyconline.org).

Discover one of the city’s majestic churches during this holiday season and catch a performance of the perennial holiday favorite Handel’s Messiah. Churches showcasing this and other holiday concerts include Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine (212-932-7314, www.stjohndivine.org) and St. Bartholomew’s Church (212-378-0200, www.stbarts.org).

Hanukkah
The World’s Largest Menorah will shine bright for eight nights at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 59th Street starting December 15, the first night of Hanukkah. The 92nd Street Y will celebrate Hanukkah with a series of events including a Make a Menorah workshop on December 7, a Family Hanukkah Festival on December 10, and a concert by Israeli superstar David Broza on December 24 (212-415-5500, www.92y.org).
On December 10 the 92nd Street Y hosts its annual Hanukkah Festival complete with craft workshops, storytelling, games, prizes and more family fun (212-415-5500, www.92y.org). The Museum of Jewish Heritage celebrates the season with a gospel brunch on December 25 featuring Joshua Nelson and his Kosher Gospel Choir (646-437-4202, www.HYPERLINK “http://mjhnyc.org” \t “_blank” mjhnyc.org).

Kwanzaa
The Central Park Conservancy marks the African-American “first harvests” holiday with a musical Kwanzaa Celebration at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center on December 26 (212-360-2276, www.centralparknyc.org). The American Museum of Natural History salutes Kwanzaa on December 30 with a day full of activities and performances from the Universal African Dance & Drum Ensemble and the McCollough Sons of Thunder (212-769-5100, www.amnh.org).

Ring in the New Year
New York City is the most famous place in the world to celebrate New Year’s Eve with the legendary Times Square New Year’s Eve Celebration and Ball Drop (212-768-1560, www.timessquarenyc.org). For those that prefer to start their New Year’s resolution of working out early, opt for the always fun New York Road Runners Midnight Run (212-860-4455, www.nyrrc.org). For the ultimate guide to New Year’s Eve parties check out newyears.com where partygoers can search for a variety of parties and purchase advance tickets. Other top party resources are noo.com, clubplanet.com and joonbug.com offering information and tickets to the city’s hottest New Year’s parties.

Sensational Savings
It’s easy to plan a visit to the Big Apple during the Paint the Town promotion January 2 to February 28, with hundreds of special offers at New York’s finest hotels, restaurants, Broadway shows, celebrated museums and attractions. The ever-popular Winter Restaurant Week returns January 22 to 26 and January 9 to February 2 with more than 200 of the city’s best restaurants offering three-course prix-fixe meals of $24.07 for lunch and $35 for dinner (212-484-1222, nycvisit.com).

For more information about all there is to see and do in New York City, log on to nycvisit.com or visit New York City’s Official Visitor Information Center at 810 Seventh Avenue at 53rd Street, the kiosks located in Lower Manhattan at City Hall Park, and in Chinatown at the triangle where Canal, Walker and Baxter Streets meet.

 

 

The Millennium Broadway’s Hudson Theatre hosted TREVOR NY, the sixth annual comedy/music fund-raising event on June 22, 2006. This year’s ceremony honored Pulitzer Prize and PEN/Faulkner Award-winning author of The Hours, Michael Cunningham , with its Trevor Hero Award for his inspirational work and commitment to the understanding and acceptance of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. At the same event, The Colin Higgins Foundation honored the winners of its Colin Higgins Young Courage Awards which acknowledges LGBT youth who have stood strong in the face of discrimination.

Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City, Rabbit Hole) made the Trevor Hero Award presentation to Michael Cunningham . Susie Essman (HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm) gave a comedic performance. There were also musical performances by Christine Ebersole (Grey Gardens) and Kristine W. The benefit was hosted by Michael Patrick King, producer and writer for Sex and the City with special appearances by Eve Ensler (The Vagina Monologues), Tony Kushner (Angels in America) and Daniel Vosovic (Project Runway).

 

by Sue Tinnish

847.394.9857

stinnish@ameritech.net

 

You want new ….
You want different …
You want innovative …
You want to borrow from something done before…

Many of us have only a passing familiarity with the principles of copyright law and the area of intellectual property. The Internet’s technology, ease and flexibility have made it incredibly easy to have access to, copy or even forward information. For the first time, the average person sitting at a computer can gain access to a wide range of every type of copyrighted material and can easily copy or communicate that material virtually instantaneously.

In a digital format, it’s not so easy to determine if a work has been copied. Original photocopy machines left tell-tale signs that a work was a copy. Later, color copies made near perfect originals. Now it is next to impossible to ascertain whether and at what point in the process a copy has been made or a performance has occurred.

From students to authors to people involved in planning meetings, copyright law is important to understand. There is a price to innovation and in many cases it’s determined by copyright laws or other areas of intellectual property rights.

Copyright or © is a legal protection for authors. Copyright law affords protection from “copying” of material. Ideas and facts are not protected by copyright laws. Individual words can not be copyrighted.  Copyright only protects the particular way an author expresses facts or ideas. Ultimately, copyright laws allow authors to profit from their work.

Like many laws, copyright laws have been amended since first created in 1790. Some parts of the law are ambiguous or poorly written. And no law can cover all situations in all circumstances. (And hence lawyers can make a profitable living!)

Materials that are protected by copyright include:

• Writings
• Musical works
• Cartoons
• Plays
• Photographs
• Maps
• Artworks, sculpture
• Movies
• Pantomimes and choreographed works
• Recipes
• Architectural drawings

Copyright law protects published and unpublished works. Copyright protection for all works created after 1978 begins the instant a work is created – whether it is registered or not with the US Copyright Office. It is not even necessary to publish the copyright notice.   Some works may not be copyright protected but exist in the public domain. Public domain works are available for copying or using without gaining permission from the author.

How do you tell if a work is copyrighted? Unfortunately, there is no straightforward rule. To understand when a copyright has expired, you need to know when the work was published.

• Everything published in the United States before 1923 is in the public domain.
• Works published in the United States between 1923- 1963 and not renewed are in the public domain.
• All unpublished works by authors dated over 70 years are in the public domain.
• Foreign works published before 1901 are in the public domain.
• Foreign works published 1909-1923 with copyright notice are in the public domain.
• Copyright protection for current works (published after 1977) generally lasts for the extent of the author’s life plus 70 years.
• Works made for hire – that is works that are created as part of a job are protected for 90 years from the date of publication or 120 years from the date of creation whichever comes first. Examples: Training materials.

Examples of Public Domain works:

• Louise May Alcott’s Little Women
• Leonardo DaVinci’s Mona Lisa
• The Lone Ranger but not E.T. or Hopalong Cassidy
• Any facts

Copyrightis a complex issue. If you find a work that you want to copy, adapt or otherwise use and it is not in the public domain, you have three alternatives:

1.       Find something that is in the public domain

2.       Obtain permission to use the work

3.       Use the work without permission relying on the principle of the “fair use” which allows copyrighted material to be used for free in limited situations.

Fair use is a concept only legally recognized in the United States. No other country in the world gives the public latitude to use copyrighted works without permission.   Under the fair use privilege an author is permitted to make limited use of another author’s work without asking permission.

When is it fair to use someone’s materials?

• When you comment or criticize
• For news reporting
• For research or scholarship

Three other considerations for fair use:

• The type of work – factual works (technical, scientific) vs. works of fancy (novels, poems, plays)
• The amount and importance of the material used
• The effect of the use of the material on the potential market or the value of the copyrighted works

People sometimes unknowingly violate copyright laws. The wide amount of information available via the web and electronic distribution makes it easy to have access to information and to add it to a presentation, brochure or other marketing information.

You may not realize that you are infringing upon an author’s rights. Here are some flagrant examples of violating copyright laws:

• Copying training materials (this is an example of a work made for hire) to reduce the cost of purchasing additional materials from a training company.
• Photocopying of articles from magazines for mass distribution.
• Using a song as background music in a video production.

Works on the Internet do not automatically qualify to be considered public domain. Nor does out of print mean out of copyright.

 

If you are concerned about copyright issues, you can: 

• Research the topic in more depth using these resources:

1.       US Office of Copyright http://www.copyright.gov/
US Office of Copyright

2.       Brad Templeton writes a brief introduction to copyright law at http://www.templetons.com/brad/copyright.html
Brad Templeton’s Intro to Copyright Law

He also has the 10 Myths about Copyright which is definitely worth a read at http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html
Brad Templeton’s 10 Myths

3.       Copyright website at http://www.benedict.com/
Copyright Website LLC

4.       Using Copyrighted Works For Meetings, Seminars & Conferences by J. Wesley Cochran, Professor of Law, Texas Tech University, August 1999 at
http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/copy-corner12.htm
Prof. Cochran

 

• Ask permission to use the work. (This can be time-consuming.)
• Use royalty-free content. You can purchase for a one-time fee for unlimited use (with some restrictions) of music, stock photos or graphics in presentation materials.
• Use works of the United States Government. By statute, U.S. Government works are not protected by copyright. This would include photographs from NASA, database and statistics (like the US Census data).
• Gain explicit agreements from your speakers that protect your organization from claims that the speaker used copyrighted materials (e.g., a PowerPoint® presentation) without permission. Speaker agreements also should ensure that the sponsor has the right to record and replay the presentation or reproduce the handouts for distribution or sale to non-attendees. Speaker agreements also should include language that allows the sponsoring organization to reproduce the presentation materials in any form or media (e.g., on the sponsor’s Web site). This idea  taken directly from Association Meetings, Dec, 2000 by Jed R. Mandel at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CXQ/is_6_12/ai_68965444
• Link Well. Links to web sites may be freely reproduced for hyperlinking. Always proper cite a website and depending upon your usage notify the web page provider. Also avoid deeply linking to a specific page. Some websites prohibit deep linking which allows you to avoid the home page.
• Obtain Music Licensing. Unless a song is clearly within the “public domain,” any music–live or recorded–played at an event is subject to copyright protection. Event sponsors may need copyright licenses from one or all of the music licensing organizations (ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC). Each organization has a “playlist” of music for which it is authorized to give licenses on behalf of copyright owners. They can provide you with a blanket license tailored to the meetings industry.

·         Research sources for Public Domain works:

1.       The on-line Books Page at www.digital.library.upenn.edu/books
On-line Books

2.       www.ibiblio.org contains links to many websites with public domain materials
www.ibiblio.org

3.       Wikipedia contains many links to public domain at http://en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/wikipedia:public_domain_resources
Wikipedia Public Domain

4.       Audiovisual and sound recordings at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) at www.archives.gov
NARA

5.       Maps at the US Geological Survey (USGS) at www.usgs.gov or the National Archives Cartographic and Architectural Branch at www.nara.gov
USGS

6.       Art works through web searches using the artist’s name or check Art History Resources on the Web at http://witcombe.bcpw.sbc.edu/arthlinks.html
Art History Resources

Strive for new, different and innovativemeetings.  But respect other people’s work.  Plagiarism is an ethical issue. While you may no longer be in school and concerned about plagiarism, you should give credit for ideas and facts that you borrow from authors. 

 

SEAL Inc.

847.394.9857

stinnish@ameritech.net

 

Do your meetings fall victim to Corporate Attention Deficit Syndrome? 

The message of your meeting is the most important aspect of your meeting. Food, drink, sleeping rooms…yes these are all important. But the ultimate reason for a meeting is to deliver a message. Even an incentive trip to the most exotic, luxurious destination would go awry if the “message” sent to the participants wasn’t correct.

The message must be well crafted (clear, articulate, and consistent).
The message must be delivered (physically heard).
The message must received (fall upon receptive ears).

Presenters or paid speakers certainly shoulder responsibility for crafting their messages. But how can you create the optimal environment to allow that message to be heard and received?

 

Today’s meeting audiences are typically filled multi-tasking and over-tasked individuals.  Many have likened the challenge of getting and keeping our audiences’ attention as Corporate Attention Deficit Syndrome.

The book, The Attention Economy, outlines what we pay attention to and divides our attention into 6 types:

• Attraction (victory, super models)
• Aversion (car wrecks)
• Captive (bad weather, movies)
• Voluntary (hobbies, print advertising)
• Front of Mind (discussion, task at hand)
• Back of Mind (to do list, commuting)

The authors, Thomas Davenport and John Beck, promote the idea that understanding and managing attention is now the single most important determinant of business success.

You can help meetings be an attraction.  You can help create environments where our audience feels they are participants not captives.

The majority of people are visual learners (60%). They retain information best when they can “see” the information. Numerous surveys show that retention increased by 70 - 80% when visuals are used. That’s one reason every speaker seems to use PowerPoint. (In addition, to the fact that speakers find it a great crutch!)

Beyond PowerPoint, consider changes in your meetings to make presentations more visual so you and your presenters shine:

• Stories This is not your traditional visual. However, stories woven within a presentation create pictures in people’s minds. Stories work to grab attention and create emotional connections. When done in support of a point in the presentation, stories help increase retention and interest.
• Props Props help make information tangible. Props should illustrate or emphasize a key point. Several suggestions for presenters when using props:

1.       Make sure the prop is large enough to be seen

2.       Allow sufficient time for the audience to see the prop

3.       Don’t let the prop become a distraction from you or your presentation

 

• Handouts Handouts need not be the PowerPoint slides reproduced. Handouts can include background information, supplemental charts and statistics, anything that supports the presentation. Handouts have the following advantages:

1.       Handouts can help fill in gaps in the audience’s knowledge and understanding of the topic

2.       Add to the presenter’s creditability

3.       Keeps everyone focused

4.       Serve as a place to take notes

 

• Flip Charts The old fashioned flip chart is still a work horse in small to mid-sized meetings. Flip charts allow a presenter to:

1.       Create group interest and attention

2.       Focus the group on key points

3.       Allow people to visually trace their conversation

 

• Change the scenery The same part of your brain that controls long-term memory also controls large motor skills. Who among us hasn’t sat through a mind-numbing presentation? When a presenter asks the audience to move, they get their attention and re-awaken the part of their brain that controls long term memory.
• Questions Questions ask the audience if the picture is complete for them. Presenters can ask rhetorical questions or they can ask the audience to respond to a question. Additionally, PowerPoint slides can be crafted in such a way that each slide asks questions thereby inviting the audience to reflect and possibly express their opinions and feelings.

You can fight Corporate Attention Deficit by creating visually more interesting meetings.  Work toward well crafted (clear, articulate, consistent), well delivered (physically heard) and well received (fall upon receptive ears) messages.  Both you and your meeting participants will be glad you did.

Establish yourself as an expert in front of meeting professionals. We are seeking articles on the following meeting topics immediately. If your article is selected, we will provide your name as the author and a link to your website from our populare Heres Network Cities. We are seeking the following topics:

 

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