Even with a few gusty winds and warnings of Hurricane Joaquin, the skies stayed sunny and blue during Smart Meetings’ three-day event, held Oct. 4–6 at Atlantis Paradise Island Resort in Nassau, Bahamas. Swapping business casual for Caribbean cool, meeting planners and suppliers proved that business can be done in sunglasses and sandals.
During the first networking session, attendees were greeted with traditional, refreshing Bahamian lemonade, called “switcha.” Then it was off to the first keynote with Gina Carr, an entrepreneur, speaker and marketing consultant who works with leaders on social media marketing for publicity, profits and success.
Later, the group met on the Royal Deck for a tropical Junkanoo cocktail reception and dinner. It wasn’t long before Bahamian dancers and drummers made a splashy entrance with brightly colored feathers and sequined costumes. Everyone caught the contagious Bahamian spirit and was moving to the beat of the steel drum.
The next day began with the sound of crashing waves at an early morning yoga session on Cove Beach. After a breakfast networking session, it was time for a power-packed keynote with Michael Dominguez, MPI chairman and senior vice president of MGM Resorts International. Dominguez took an in-depth look at today’s economic environment and driving issues in the hotel industry. His presentation gave planners an insight into negotiations and gaining appropriate leverage.
Attendees had a chance to explore Nassau and its white sand beaches before an island dining experience at Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort & Offshore Island. Under yellow and purple neon lights, planners and suppliers kicked off their shoes to dance and socialize with toes in the sand.
On the last day, Terry Brock engaged the audience with a presentation on how to leverage technology and build solid business relationships—a relevant topic on everyone’s mind. Brock is an author, marketing consultant and well-known speaker for Fortune 10 companies.
Atlantis Paradise Island Resort is part of Autograph Collection Hotels. It boasts six towers with more than 3,400 guest rooms, 40 restaurants and a conference center with 200,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, including the 50,000-square-foot Imperial Ballroom.
Don’t miss out on the next Smart Meetings event on November 8–10 at The Broadmoor in
Colorado Springs, Colorado. Register at smartmeetings.com/smart-events
Learn more about our Smart Meeting Events
Thank You to Our Sponsors:
–Atlantis Paradise Island Resort
–Dancing Deer Baking Co.
–Dang Foods LLC
–Equilibrium Events Inc.
–Espeakers
–Etouches
–Giovanni Eco Chic Cosmetics
–Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun
–Image Screens
–Kiehl’s
–Logo Your Promo, Inc.
–Maui Jim
–MGM Resorts International
–Nassau Paradise Island Promotions Board
–Palace Resorts
–Pc/nametag
–Poken
–Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort
–Silver Digital Media
–White Towel Services
–Wineskin
–Zamar Group
