Ready for Change

Sen. Hillary Clinton speaks to Nevadans on Oct. 21, 2007 at the Spring Preserves in Las Vegas.

Justice Department eats on U.S!

Here is something I found on CNN.com that just troubles me as a taxpayer and as someone who has an interest in conferences.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Hungry attendees at Justice Department conferences have been enjoying millions of dollars in meatballs and other goodies courtesy of U.S. taxpayers, according to an inspector general's report released Friday.

The Justice Department paid more than $13,000 for cookies at conferences, says a report released Friday.

The report cited $5 meatballs and cans of soft drinks each costing $4.55 among reasons 10 conferences during 2005 and 2006 cost nearly $7 million.

One four-day conference of 1,500 people in Los Angeles cost the Justice Department $394,000 in August 2005.

"Overall this conference's daily food expense averaged $64 per registrant, which exceeded the approved federal per diem rate of $51 for meals," the report said.

The 128-page report does not suggest laws were broken, although it questions the Justice Department's judgment when it comes to the cost of its events.

In addition to the platters of Swedish meatballs and soda pop, the Justice Department paid more than $13,000 for cookies, according to the inspector general's office.

A Senate committee requested the report on Justice Department conferences, which, in fiscal year 2006, cost taxpayers nearly $46 million, including travel, programming, food and associated costs. Year to year costs show such meetings have totaled from $33.8 million in 2001 to a high of $58 million in 2004.

The 2005 Los Angeles event — which was called the "Weed and Seed" national conference — attracted particular attention from the audit's authors.

It "included a $53 per person two-entree and dessert lunch for 120 attendees, a one-hour $64,000 'Stars and Stripes' themed networking reception and a post-conference meeting for 30 DOJ employees who were provided a sandwich buffet lunch at a cost of $44 per person and an 'At the Movies' theme snack (candy, popcorn, and soft drinks) for an additional $25 per person," the report said.

The report, from the Office of Inspector General, Glenn Fine, expressed concern that most of the conference attendees failed to deduct their allowable per diem meal costs because they received free meals.

"When component managers do not systematically review vouchers to ensure that such deductions are made, the government effectively pays for the meals twice," the report said.

Another meeting detailed in the report was a 2006 COPS National Conference in Washington. Some 1,100 attendees were offered daily breakfast buffets, two lunches, a networking reception, and two "themed breaks."

"The networking reception itself cost more than $60,000 and included a chef-carved roast beef and turkey, a penne pasta station, and platters of Swedish meatballs at a cost of nearly $5 per meatball," the report said. "The average food and beverage cost per day for the COPS conference was $83 per attendee -- $19 dollars over the $64 federal per diem meal rate for Washington."

Among the report's recommendations: Planners should compare costs in multiple sites in multiple cities unless there is a special reason a meeting needs to be held in a particular city.

The report also called for developing conference food and beverage policies "to ensure adequate justification of significant food and beverage costs."

The Justice Department said it agreed with the recommendations.

Not easy finding time to blog

Blogging can be time consuming and it is difficult to find the time when working full time. Meanwhile I have a home-based trade show newspaper — Trade Show Expo —  that I am always working on. I try to add more content to the Web site and I also answer e-mail. Adding a blog was an idea that I hoped would be easy to do and may even get my business site noticed.

I missed a chanc to comment on Brittney, Sen. Craig and to pay homage to victims of 9/11. August and September have been busy months.

Today I found a Web site that address how to find the time to blog.

The Influential Marketing Blog by Rohit Bhargava had some good tips to blogging including:

1. Set a realistic target. This is the first and most important rule. Expecting yourself to post every day is not only going to burn you out quickly ... it's probably also going to quickly make you feel like you are failing. My target is 3 high quality posts per week, and most weeks I can hit that. The quality is debatable ... but at least I don't have to finish each week feeling blog guilt ...
   
   
2. Let go of your blog guilt. I had a great conversation with John Bell many months ago which I still remember, about the idea of blog guilt. We both have it, as most other bloggers do. It's that moment when you realize that you haven't posted for some extended amount of time, and you feel guilty for it. Even more dangerous is after blog guilt often comes writing paralysis when you are not sure what to write or feel that you should apologize for being absent. Get over it.

There are plenty of others to keep in mind but I don't have time to include them all here. To read more tips, visit his site by clicking here: IMB Blog.

There is still a lot for me to learn about blogging.

Remarks by the President after Tour of Interstate 35-W Bridge Damage

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--10:40 A.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT: On behalf of the citizens of America, I bring prayers from the American people to those who suffered loss of life as a result of the collapse of the 35W bridge here in the Twin Cities. I bring the prayers of those who wonder about whether they'll ever see a loved one again.

First, I want to thank the Governor and the Mayor and the senators, members of the Congress for working in a coordinated way to respond to this tragedy. I have met with the Chief of Police and the Sheriff, rescue workers, people who represent men and women who are working as hard as they possibly can to save life and to find life; to go under these murky waters to find the facts.

And it's going to take a while, but I have been impressed by not only their determination, but have been impressed by their compassion. I have met people that were on the bridge -- I met a man who was on the bridge when it collapsed. His instinct was to run to a school bus of screaming children, and to help bring them to safety.

We have an amazing country, where people's instinct, first instinct, is to help save life. There's a lot of peoples' first instincts here in the Twin Cities was to save the lives of somebody who was hurting. And I know the people of this community thank their fellow citizens who did that.

I'm here with the Secretary of Transportation, because our message to the Twin Cities is, we want to get this bridge rebuilt as quick as possible; that we understand this is a main artery of life here; that people count on this bridge and this highway system to get to work. There's a lot of paperwork involved with government. One of our jobs is to work with the Governor and the Mayor and the senators and the members of the Congress to cut through that paperwork, and to see if we can't get this bridge rebuilt in a way that not only expedites the flow of traffic, but in a way that can stand the test of time.

I make no promises on the timetable. I do promise that Mary Peters, the Secretary of Transportation, is going to be in charge of this project. I do promise she's going to listen to the local authorities to find out what the folks here need. I do promise that when she sees roadblocks and hurdles in the way of getting the job done, she'll do everything she can to eliminate them.

Out of these tragedies can come a better life. And I, having visited with the people here, believe that not only are they committed to a better life, not only are they committed to turning something ugly into something good, but it's going to happen.

So I'm proud to be with you. Thank you for your leadership. God bless the people of this part of the world. Thank you.

Fires burn in Lake Tahoe

It is difficult to distance myself from a place I once called home no matter how many years go by.

I spent a few years in the Lake Tahoe area after college graduation. It was where I once worked as a sports writer covering snow and high school sports. As I read the news reports of the damage being incurred by a "monster fire" it is difficult not to remember the many places I rode a mountain bike or the areas I hiked. Lake Tahoe, bar none, is the most beautiful place I have ever lived and perhaps the most beautiful location in the Western United States. The scenery and the recreation combine to provide anyone plenty of things to do.

It is also near the Nevada stateline so there is also the casino and gambling element that attracts many people to the shorelines of the bluest lake in the world.
Reading about the fires is difficult when I know the roads so well and I still know a few people who live there. I once worked for the Tahoe Daily Tribune and across the street many people are seeking shelter inside the recreation center. Fire was always a concern in the area and on Sunday afternoon a community-wide nightmare began. More than 2,000 acres have been burning and more than 200 structures have been destroyed. This include many homes and businesses.

I just hope the winds calm down so that the fire fighter can get control of the blaze.

A state of emergency has been declared in South Lake Tahoe. With an estimated $100 million in damage and at least $1 billion in economic losses tallied, state officials have deemed El Dorado County as a disaster area as a result of the Angora fire that started Sunday afternoon in the North Upper Truckee area up to Tahoe Mountain on the South Shore.

The fire, which is being considered the worst for the South Shore in at least a half century, was still no more than percent contained on Monday. It has consumed about 2,500 acres and claimed 220 homes and other structures. No one has been reportedly injured, and no cause has been determined.

The fires came within 500 yards of South Tahoe High School and there is no confirmation that the high school has caught fire. South Tahoe High is the home of the Vikings. A school with an enrollment of about 1,500 and is know for its basketball and skiing programs. The football field is surrounded by forest and borders the wilderness. It is a great place to watch a game or to jog a few miles.

El Dorado County Sheriff Jeff Neves released a phone number in order for homeowners to check on the status of their homes at 530-541-5660 (ext. 336) or via www.edso.org. Incident command operations are in the process of moving to Heavenly Mountain Resort's California Base Lodge from Lake Tahoe Airport.

National Tourism Week Celebrates Nation’s $703 Billion Travel Industry

It's a great week to be a tourist. I wouldn't mind strolling through Washington D.C., Chicago, New Orleans, New York or Pittsburgh. Pick a city and there is probably something being done in that city to recognize tourism this week.

In Pittsburgh… VisitPittsburgh joins hundreds of cities, states and travel-related businesses nationwide in recognition of the 24th annual National Tourism Week, May 12-20. Designated by Congress and established by presidential proclamation in 1983, the event highlights the impact of the nation’s $703 billion travel industry and the economic and social contributions it brings to the Pittsburgh region.

This year’s theme, “Travel & Tourism: America’s Front Door,” illustrates the importance of travel to America’s image and suggests its impact as a leading industry for economic growth.

“Hotels and meeting facilities, attractions, restaurants and transportation providers are among the local businesses greatly impacted by travel to Pittsburgh and Its Countryside,” said Joe McGrath, president and CEO of VisitPittsburgh.

Each year, an estimated 10.2 million visitors come to the Greater Pittsburgh area. In 2005 that translated into almost $3 billion in economic impact. It’s worth noting that Allegheny County ranks first in the state for direct spending; and Pennsylvania ranks fourth in the nation for the number of tourists, right after California, Florida and Texas.

In addition, this industry employs nearly 50,000 people in Allegheny County and touches our community in countless other ways. “This week, we celebrate the value of tourism and the positive impact it makes on the economy. We are absolutely delighted to be able to showcase Pittsburgh, America’s most livable city.” said McGrath.

Nationwide, the U.S. travel industry directly employs 7.5 million people and generates payroll of $171 billion and tax revenues of about $105 billion. It ranks fifth among the 20 major industry sectors measured by the U.S. Census Bureau. Visitors to the U.S. spent more here than U.S. residents traveling abroad, creating a positive balance of trade of $7.4 billion for the national economy. Travel expenditures within the United States total $703 billion.

National Tourism Week is one of several Tourism Works for America® programs supported annually by the Travel Industry Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade association that represents the common interests and concerns of travel in America.

Las Vegas meanwhile had a “LAS VEGAS MONORAIL SPY GAME” to celebrate National Tourism Week. Las Vegas-Based TBA Global Earns First-Place in the AdVenture Vegas Competition.

As mentioned in Trade Show Expo’s eNewletter last week, the adventure-seeking spirit of Las Vegas was on full display during AdVenture Vegas’ debut “Las Vegas Monorail Spy Game” competition, pitting the city’s top destination management companies (DMCs) in a head-to-head race in celebration of National Tourism Week. Top industry participants, who promote Las Vegas by profession, successfully utilized the Las Vegas Monorail to infiltrate the inner sanctum of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and worked together following a trail of clues to sniff out actors portraying real, live spies in this first-of-its-kind adventure.

“It has been a pleasure to partner with AdVenture Vegas to debut the first ‘Las Vegas Monorail Spy Game’ and celebrate National Tourism Week with some of the most friendly, esteemed people who bring visitors to Las Vegas and promote our city as a premier destination,” said Ingrid Reisman, vice president of corporate communications for the Las Vegas Monorail Company. “We hope to do more events, activities and promotions that continue to increase the role of the Las Vegas Monorail as part of the Strip experience.”

Dressed in themed attire, more than 70 people from Las Vegas’ leading DMCs, including Alan Waxler Group, Baskow and Associates, LT Eventions, Panache, PRA Destination Management, TBA Global, USA Hosts, and VegasHotSpots.com, teamed up to participate in the “Las Vegas Monorail Spy Game.” Culminating at Sprint Central, inside the Las Vegas Convention Center Monorail Station, was a festive awards reception where the first place team, Las Vegas-based TBA Global, was recognized with a “Las Vegas Monorail Spy Game” trophy, a $1,500 gift certificate from AdVenture Vegas and an office lunch to PF Chang’s China Bistro – in addition to exclusive bragging rights. VegasHotSpots.com was the second place winner and a three-way tie for third place was between Baskow and Associates, Panache, and USA Hosts with Baskow and Associates taking the victory by winning a cheer-off.

Enjoy the week you lucky tourists!

Spider-Man 3 and Mayweather highlight action-packed weekend

It was a huge weekend for sports and entertainment in Las Vegas and throughout the rest of the country. Check out Saturday's events: Kentucky Derby, baseball games, Big Boxing match in Las Vegas, basketball playoffs and another Super Hero film.

My question is: Who made more money? Spider-man or De La Hoya and Mayweather?

Spider-Man 3 set a half-dozen box-office records this weekend, including biggest debut with $148 million, according to studio estimates from Nielsen EDI. The opening handily reclaimed several benchmarks set last year by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, including biggest opening day and most single-day ticket sales.

It also provided a tantalizing salvo in the battle this summer between the major sequels of May: Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, which opens May 18, and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, which premieres May 25.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, De La Hoya made a guaranteed $25 million in an event hyped as the biggest in boxing history. His Golden Boy Promotions co-promoted the fight, so when all receipts are counted, he could haul in more than $40 million.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. was guaranteed $10 million but figures to collect more through his percentage of the pay-per-view sales.

Mayweather lived up to his billing as the favorite in this weekend's welterweight title fight with Oscar De La Hoya in Las Vegas. Despite a spirited challenge, Mayweather scored a split decision victory over De La Hoya before a sold-out, star-studded crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Saturday night. After the fight, the 30-year-old Mayweather said he's hanging up his gloves to pursue other interests, but many boxing experts predict Mayweather will return to the ring. With the win, Mayweather maintained his perfect career record, now at 38-0. Oscar fell to 38-5. The 34-year-old De La Hoya said he'll return to Puerto Rico and consider his future options. The bout set a record for highest grossing live gate revenue, and is also expected to set pay-per-view records when the final numbers come in later this week.

A horse named Street Sense also had a decent payday Saturaday at Churchill Downs. The purse for Kentucky Derby day totaled $2,210,000. The attendance of 156,000 adoring fans was the third largest in history. Queen Elizabeth, who owns horses, was also in attendance. This was her first Kentucky Derby.

But before De La Hoya and Mayweather were even taped for their fight, there came an announcement out of New York about another mult-million dollar deal for a old face.

With a seventh-inning announcement, Roger Clemens made himself a returning hero, a difference-maker, and a whole big pile of cash.

According to CNN SI.com, Clemens, who was on his way into retirement the last time he was being cheered wildly by a Yankee Stadium crowd, agreed to a one-year, $28-million contract to don pinstripes for the remainder of 2007. The deal is the biggest in baseball history by average annual value, and includes the highest single-season salary ever paid to a major-league player. Clemens won't get quite that much money, as he won't join the Yankees for another month, but two-thirds of that figure, about $18.5 million, makes for quite the incentive to return. The cost is greater to the Yankees; throw in the luxury tax hit on this addition to the payroll, and they're committing about $26 million.

But not all was good in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Hours after the fight, five people were killed in drunk driving crash on a dark street in Northwest Las Vegas.

It has been described as one of the worst drunk driving crashes in Las Vegas history. It happened late Saturday night on Farm Road near Tenaya. Police say 19-year-old Ronald Jayne Junior was drunk and speeding eastbound on Farm when he ran a stop sign and smashed into an SUV with a family inside. The impact ruptured the SUV's gas tank and caused it to burst into flames.


A 32-year-old woman, two boys between ages 8 and 11, and a girl around one-year-old were killed at the scene, while a fifth victim, an infant boy, died Sunday morning from his injuries. Three others survived the crash and were taken to UMC. Two are in critical condition and one in serious condition. Jayne was treated for moderate injuries, and arrested on at least 20 criminal charges, including DUI causing death and reckless driving causing death. Police say Jayne is now on suicide watch at the Clark County Detention Center.

Las Vegas commute aches

I know it has been a while since I posted the first blog here on this site, but this is a new idea and new ideas take time to work out the kinks. Time is at a minimum when working a job and dealing with a young Internet business. Trade Show Expo is anxious to know what your world is like and I am willing to give a few details about mine.

I work at a magazine near the convention center. I live in a home past one of the last highway turnoffs before heading toward Mount Charleston and no where. The commute is never easy. Today the traffic was extra-horrible as I approached the L.V. Strip. It is hard enough just getting to the Strip but getting past it has been a challenge lately. Construction and lane closures on both Desert Inn and Spring Mountain have created a nightmare near the Fashion Mall and any where on Las Vegas Blvd. from Sahara and Flamingo. Yet, this is the path I must take to reach my destination.

I do get to listen to the A.M. for redundant news reports and uselessly-late traffic reports. I hear some scores and I listen to the Deejays rant and discuss the latest in Idol gossip. The same commercials. The same Iraq reports and more sound bits of why the President is losing more points in the polls. Then I hit the brakes when a mile a cars are waiting for the lights to change to cross Las Vegas Blvd. A four-minute route now takes 15-20 minutes depending on how aggressive I am behind the wheel.

I should take a camera along and take photos while sitting there staring at the line of cars fighting to inch forward.

I take some comfort in the fact that a few other co-workers are also having trouble dealing with the commute and wondering why it is so hard for traffic to run smoother.

A newspaper for the trade show and convention industry

Being that this is my first blog, my goal is simply to begin a dialogue between myself and everyone who has an interest in the trade show, convention, meeting and exhibit industry. Trade Show Expo is a newspaper meant for you.
Visit our Web site at: www.trade-show-expo.com and find out more or write to vincent@trade-show-expo.com.

I will be back to add more.