BHN to Organize Hotel Investment Conference in Montenegro

NEWPORT BEACH, California, USA --- BHN, organizer of some of the world's most prominent hotel investment conferences, has signed an agreement with the government of Montenegro to organize a conference focussing on hospitality investment opportunities in the Balkan republic. Jim Burba, founder of BHN, and Mr. Vladimir Mitrovic, the Republic of Montenegro's Minister of Tourism, announced their plans to hold the event in May 2001 at the world-renowned Spa Center-Institute Igalo, in Herceg-Novi, Montenegro.Reflecting the importance of the future of the hospitality industry in Montenegro, Minister Mitrovic stated, President Milo Djukanovic of Montenegro personally will invite a select group of international delegates to travel to Montenegro to see the rich opportunities that our beautiful country has to offer the hotel and tourism industry. The region has stabilized and the Republic of Montenegro is ready for the world community to participate in its growth and development as a premier travel destination. The goals of the conference include introducing the international hotel and tourism investment community to the process of privatization of hotels and resorts in Montenegro, identifying new sites for development, explaining management and franchise opportunities and developing a better understanding of Montenegro's government plan for economic development and restructuring. BHN will focus on developing a conference that will help the local government become familiar with the outlook for hotel lending and how hotel deals are currently being done, as well as key issues to shape the hotel and tourism industry in Montenegro. This will be an incredible opportunity for the world's hospitality leaders to view firsthand the limitless investment opportunities that Montenegro offers, Jim Burba explained. The European Coordination Center for the conference will be in the London offices of Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG). Jim Burba recently joined WATG as Vice President and Worldwide Director of Advisory Services.BHN will plan, organize or produce several upcoming hospitality industry investment conferences which will be held in 2001. Included on the roster of events is: the 16th Annual Hotel Industry Investment Conference and 5th Annual Latin America & Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Forum scheduled for January 2001 in Los Angeles, California; the 5th Annual Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference scheduled for April 2001 in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles; and the 4th Annual International Hotel Investment Forum scheduled for March 2001 in Berlin, Germany. Information about all the BHN conferences appears on www.BURBA.com, the BHN website.For more information, contact Bob Hayes, BHN Director of Communications at (949) 574-8500 or email: bhayes@watg.com

Unique Revenue Sharing Program from Only Fun Vacations

August 4, 2004 -- How would you like to offer your clients, employees, contractors, brokers or other business associates an incredible service that everyone needs? Leisure travel is one of the largest industries in the world. Everyone loves to travel. Whether it is a cruise vacation to the Caribbean, a weekend in Las Vegas or perhaps an all-inclusive stay in Mexico, leisure travel remains one of the most successful tools for maintaining important business relationships. Travel partnerships can be expensive and often fail to provide the quality of service needed to maintain those delicate business relationships. That is where we come in. We can provide you with a total leisure travel solution that can benefit all aspects of your business. What is the cost? Absolutely nothing!Imagine that you could provide your clients, employees or other business associates with a full service travel website featuring booking engines, cruises, vacation packages, destination guides, trip reviews and travel tools. Tens of thousands of pages of the best travel offers you can find. Better yet we can private label the site to reflect your current corporate branding. We also will give each of your client's special incentives to book, such as $100 Gift Certificates with any cruise or vacation booking. Did I mention that all of this doesn't cost you anything? There is one more important detail I forgot to mention, your company will earn 25% of all commission revenue, and for a small yearly fee you can earn 40% of all commission revenue!That's right! Not only does this program cost you absolutely nothing, but you can generate profit to the bottom line as well. Don't see the benefit yet? Maybe you want to raise money for a charity? Need an incentive to get a client to purchase your product? Pass your profits to your clients in the form of a discount? Provide an employee benefit or incentive? Drive more traffic to your website? Enhance your member services program? Create excitement for a promotion or membership drive? The possibilities are endless and we are here to develop a solution for you.We can have you up and running with your own private label site like the www.ameriplantraveler.com website within days. Completely free of charge! Ameriplan uses our leisure travel program to provide a discount travel benefit to their network of insurance brokers. Only Fun Vacations has over 25 years of experience developing strategic partnerships with clients like Sprint, Price Club, Travelnow, OneTravel, Pass Privilege, Nevada Power, Commercial Travel Corporation, Adventure Tracker & Ameriplan USA to name just a few. By providing exceptional value & service we have become a leader in innovative marketing programs and benefit programs. Some of the services we can provide include:-Marketing Promotions-Client Loyalty Programs -Value Added Benefits -Employee Incentive Programs -Special Event Planning -Fundraising -Customized Travel Clubs -Group Travel Services -Honeymoon Registry -Travel Deals Newsletters -Radio Promotions -Travel Fairs With 20 years of experience in the travel industry we have become a well respected organization that is involved in many organizations including the BBB " Better Business Bureau, ARC " Airlines Reporting Corporation, IATA " International Air Transport Association, CLIA " Cruise Line International Association, NACTA " National Association of Commissioned Travel Agents, ASTA " American Society of Travel Agents and Vacation.com the largest travel consortium in the United States. In addition members of our company sit on the advisory boards of industry groups and organizations. Frank Costa, President of CTOFV also hosts a weekly radio show called the Travel Insiders which airs in San Diego, CA. This industry experience has allowed us to create preferred relationships with major travel suppliers like Carnival Cruise Lines, Apple Vacations, Pleasant Holidays, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean / Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Club Med, Sandals and many others.What does all of this mean? Well it means you get experience, service and value when you partner with Only Fun Vacations. Call or email us today to find out more details or to set up a special consultation.

Marilyn Nelson to Receive Award at Berlin Hotel Investment Conference

The hosts of the upcoming 5th Annual International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) have announced that Marilyn Nelson, chairman and chief executive officer of Carlson Companies, Inc., will receive the prestigious IHIF Lifetime Achievement Award at the event to be held March 19-21, 2002 at the Inter-Continental in Berlin, Germany. The award is given annually to a hotel industry leader who has demonstrated remarkable leadership, and it is voted by an advisory board to the IHIF. Previous winners include Lord Forte, Gerard Pellison, Paul Dubrule, Gabriel Escarrer and George Rafael.Nelson is responsible for both the future and the daily operations of Carlson Companies, one of the largest privately held companies in the world. It is the parent corporation of a global group of integrated consumer service and corporate solution firms. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, the company operates travel agencies, hotels, restaurants, cruises and marketing services. More than 190,000 people are employed under Carlson brands in more than 140 nations. About the selection of Nelson to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, co-host Jonathan Worsley stated, Marilyn Carlson Nelson is very deserving of this award due to her tireless efforts on behalf of the hotel industry. Since the events of September 11, she has been one of the drivers to get the industry moving again, and she is using her position as chairman of the Carlson group to lobby the United States Congress. Worsley added, Marilyn is a figurehead within the hotel industry. The philosophy of Carlson is summed up in the company's credo: Whatever you do, do it with integrity; wherever you go, go as a leader; whomever you serve, serve with caring; whenever you dream, dream with your all and never give up' sums up the character of Marilyn and Carlson Companies.Upon hearing that she had been chosen to receive the IHIF Lifetime Achievement Award, Nelson stated, It is truly an honor to be personally recognized by my colleagues in the hospitality industry, but I can only accept this on behalf of the tens of thousands of Carlson hospitality team members across the globe who continue to build and operate our industry's most exciting brands.The IHIF is hosted by BHN, Insignia Hotel Partners and Hotel & Motel Management. BHN brings together nearly two decades of experience in developing the world's most prominent gatherings of the hotel and tourism investment community, including the recently held Asia Pacific Hotel Investment Conference in Hong Kong and the upcoming Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles, California and Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference in Puerto Rico. Insignia Hotel Partners, a premier hotel real estate advisory company, specializes in individual hotel and portfolio brokerage, capital advisory services and asset management. Hotel and Motel Management is the preferred advertising vehicle for hospitality industry suppliers, service providers, franchise companies and management companies around the world. Additional information about the IHIF Lifetime Achievement Award, the program and online registration for the event is available on the IHIF website: www.berlinconference.com .

Buffalo Grove Professional Firefighters Association Deliver Relief Supplies Donated to Hurricane Victims from IPA-IBA

Buffalo Grove, IL September 29, 2004 -- The Inside Sales Department for International Profit Associates (IPA-IBA) facilitated a hurricane relief donation drive asking for employees to support the Buffalo Grove Professional Firefighters Association in their efforts to raise supplies.Buffalo Grove Firetruck E26 and a pick up truck arrived at IPA headquarters to assist employees with the loading of supplies. Trucks were filled with thousands of pounds of requested relief supplies. IPA employee donations included drinking water, nonperishable food items, paper goods, plastic utensils, grills, charcoal, coolers, first aid supplies, toiletries, hand soaps and wipes, work gloves, tents and tarps.Buffalo Grove firefighter Mike Spiro traveled to Atlanta with the Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Professional Association to deliver and distribute the donated supplies to emergency workers in Florida through FEMA.I am excited that we as a company can pull together and help the hurricane relief workers in their time of need, said John Burgess, Managing Director of International Profit Associates. The Inside Sales Department did a phenomenal job of organizing the drive and I am proud that our employees are so active in the community.International Profit Associates, Inc. (IPA-IBA), the largest privately-held business development company for small and medium size businesses in North America, is a leading authority on small business. With nearly $200,000,000 in annual revenues, IPA is the 8th largest management consulting company in Chicago and the 56th largest consulting company in the world. IPA offers a wide range of proven and innovative methodologies to help businesses grow and prosper in both good economic times and bad. IPA and its related companies, including Integrated Business Analysis, Inc. (IBA), International Tax Advisors, Inc. (ITA) and IPA Advisory & Intermediary Services, LLC (IPA A&I), provide comprehensive business advisory services and tax strategies to companies in the United States, Canada and other locations worldwide. Additional information is immediately available by visiting http://www.ipa-iba.com, http://www.iba-usa.net, http://internationaltaxadvisors.com and http://www.aiservices.com. The Public Relations Department may be contacted at: telephone (847) 495-6786; facsimile (847) 495-6773; email pr@ipa-iba.com.

What is the problem with tribal wars in Kenya?

Ever since attaining independence and becoming a republic back in the year 1963, Kenya boasts of having one of the largest numbers of tribe living within it's over five hundred thousand square kilometres. This majestic country has also been endowed with a diverse culture oozing with undiluted language, traditions and tribes. Up until the 2007 general elections, there has been a substantial peace and a steady growth in the country's economy with almost all its sectors receiving escalation in profits and income. The tourism sector, being one of the country's export earners, was topping the list with immense volumes of the number of tourist received in the country. Other sectors such as transport, local entrepreneurship, trade, industry were also experiencing growth.After the much disputed general elections, the country went through one of its worst dreaded experiences; tribal war. This, however, did not come as much of a surprise since there have been quite a number of unrests in some parts of the country over the last couple of years that might have been an indicator of the worse to come. In areas such as Molo, Kuresoi, the Mount Elgon region, the Rift Valley among others, there have been wrangles brought about by land disputes, cattle rustling, and disputes over grazing areas and what have you. The clashes had subsided just before the elections but after later on they were freshly rekindled after the elections.The results of the general elections are believed to have sparked the turmoil that rocked the country in the beginning of the year 2008. However, there had always been tension especially due to the fact that many parties had somewhat become regionally and tribally affiliated. For example, some of the major parties had great popularity within some regions than others; this in the long run led to a major rift between tribes. There was also much talk about how members of a particular tribe were not the favourable leaders in the next government, how members of particular tribe were causing the perpetrators of corruption and all other related occurrences.The country was thrown into confusion after each party came out strongly opposing the results that were tallied by the Electoral Commission. Each one of them had their own results tallied and as expected the confusion and disagreements led to great spate of violence and war. To everyone's surprise, those areas that had been experiencing clashes were the hardest hit. This suggested that as much as the election results had a hand in the wake of the violence, tribalism and ethnicity which had been building over the past finally got a leeway and erupted.The post election violence dealt a major blow to the country's economy as a whole, and this also affected the neighbouring countries since most of them being landlocked depend on Kenya as a transit country for their exports and imports and international trade.The tourism sector was not spared the pain. As a matter of fact, the period that saw the skirmish (which is seen as the high season) saw no tourists coming in or even staying in any of the major hotels in the country. The political unrest resulted in countries from where many of the international tourists come from imposing travel advisories to their citizens thus creating a negative impression on the country's safety. Transport, industry, trade and education are among the other sectors of the economy that were adversely affected by the violence.



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The British and Irish Lions rugby tour to New Zealand in 2005 will be one of the biggest sporting events ever seen in New Zealand.

September 16, 2004 -- Ticketing Overview There will be an unprecedented demand for tickets to the British and Irish Lions matches and the NZRU will be running a ballot, which will provide a fair and transparent system. New Zealand Post will be running the public ballot for the NZRU and up to 125,000 tickets will be available for purchase. Members of New Zealand's Rugby Community, season ticket holders as well as fans living in provinces where the Lions are playing will have an extra chance in the ballot through a weighting' system. Other people and organisations, such as season ticket holders, will have access to ticket sales via direct offers. Prices There will be a range of ticket prices available from the NZRU and provincial unions, ranging from a $10 children's ticket to a provincial match, to $300 for the premium Test tickets. Ticket prices are as follows: Bay of Plenty, Manawatu and Southland: pricing will range from $10 for a child through to $100 for a premium adult ticket. Taranaki: from $15 for a child through to $100 for a premium adult ticket. Otago, Wellington and Auckland: from $20 for a child through to $120 for a premium adult ticket. New Zealand Maori: from $20 for a child through to $150 for a premium adult ticket. Test matches: from $80 in Wellington and $100 in Christchurch and Auckland through to $300 for a premium ticket at all three Tests. Family-friendly prices There will be family-friendly prices for provincial matches. For example, a family of four will be able to see*: Bay of Plenty play the Lions in Rotorua for $90.Southland plays the Lions in Invercargill for $90.Manawatu play the Lions in Palmerston North for $90.Otago play the Lions in Dunedin for $110.New Zealand Maori play the Lions in Hamilton for $130.* Prices quoted are exclusive of booking/courier fee. Ticket Allocations The NZRU is contractually obliged to make tickets available to a number of groups. The biggest obligation is to the British and Irish Lions themselves. Eight thousand official ticket packages have been made available to Lions supporters. The British and Irish Lions have also been given an allocation for each of their provincial matches. International Travel Packages The NZRU has also allocated 2,000 tickets per Test match to the official travel and hospitality agents to sell to All Blacks and Lions supporters outside of Europe, in places such as Asia, Australia and North America. Direct Offers and other Ticket Allocations The NZRU and provincial unions will make direct offers to a number of organisations and people who have supported or served the game of rugby in New Zealand. Stadium members " whose memberships give them the right to see all events at their local stadium " will be seated in their normal seat. Season Pass Holders 2004 provincial season pass holders who renew their pass for 2005 will automatically receive a ticket to the Lions provincial match as part of their 2005 pass.Season pass holders in the Test cities will have the right to purchase a ticket to the Test in their city.Christchurch season pass holders will receive a 20 percent discount off their Test ticket offer. This is because season pass holders in the other Lions Test venues, Wellington and Auckland, will have the Lions matches against the Wellington and Auckland provincial sides included as part of their season passes for 2005. Provincial unions will do their best to ensure season pass holders are sitting alongside other season pass holders they normally watch rugby matches with.Season pass holders should also note that a physical ticket will be issued to all Lions matches, including those games which are part of any season pass. The Rugby Community The NZRU will be recognising the support, commitment and hard work of the thousands of volunteers and other people involved in the Rugby Community, by giving them a greater chance of securing tickets in the public ballot. The Rugby Community is made up of a large number of people who are integral to the running of the game in this country. It is important that they are given recognition. The NZRU in conjunction with the 27 provincial unions is collating all names on a Rugby Community database. It is estimated that this database will number more than 150,000. People who think that they qualify as a member of the Rugby Community should contact their club or local provincial union. For the purpose of the public ballot, the following groups are included in the definition of Rugby Community: All registered players.Coaches and other team managementRefereesVolunteersPlayers, staff and office holders of NZRU associate member and related organisations, including the NZ Marist Rugby Football Federation, the NZ Universities Rugby Football Council, the NZ Rugby Foundation, the NZ Schools Rugby Council, the NZ Colleges of Education Rugby Football Federation, the NZ Rugby Museum Society of New Zealand, the NZ Deaf Rugby Football Union, the NZ Defence Force Sports Committee, the NZ Barbarians Rugby Football Club, and regional junior advisory boards.The Ballot - How It Will Work The ballot will be a fully automated process developed by NZ Post and their ticketing subsidiary, Red Tickets, and will be overseen by the NZRU. Members of the public can register for the ballot in two ways: 1. Via the website, www.lions.co.nz.2. By picking up a registration form from the more than 330 NZ Post Shops throughout the country. The registration period will run from 1 November 2004 until 24 December 2004. No registrations will be accepted before or after this period. The ballot will be run in February 2005. Fans who have been successful in securing tickets will be contacted in the weeks following the draw. Ballot weighting There will be different weightings for different groups in the ballot. Simply put, if you are a member of the Rugby Community, a season pass holder *or live within a provincial union where the Lions are playing a provincial match**, you will have a greater chance in the ballot.The weightings for Lions provincial matches are as follows: Member of the public outside game province " one chanceMember of the public in game province " two chancesMember of Rugby Community and season pass holder outside game province " three chancesMember of Rugby Community and season pass holder inside game province " four chances * To qualify for weighting in the ballot, you must be a fully-paid 2004 season pass holder as at 30 September 2004. ** The game province is defined by the boundaries of your local Air New Zealand NPC provincial union. There are two exceptions to this: people living in the Horowhenua-Kapiti provincial union are considered, for the purposes of the ballot, to live in the Wellington area; and people living in the North Harbour or Counties-Manukau provincial union areas are considered to live in the Auckland area. The NZRU also wanted to recognise the support of season pass holders in provinces which are not hosting Lions matches so they will receive the same weighting as the wider Rugby Community in the ballot. The weightings for the Test matches as well as the New Zealand Maori match are as follows: Member of the public " one chanceMember of Rugby Community and all season pass holders " two chances The different weighting for these matches is due to the fact that they are national' matches. Registering for the Ballot The registration form, whether filling out online at www.lions.co.nz or at an NZ Post shop, will require you to give the following information.Contact detailsYou will be asked to provide a range of contact details, including name and contact phone numbers. If you are successful in securing tickets, you will be contacted on your nominated phone number. It is crucial that you provide accurate contact details.Match preferenceYou will be asked to prioritise the matches you want to get tickets for. If you register to secure tickets for one match only, then that will be your first preference. If, however, you register for more than one match, you will be asked to nominate a first preference, a second preference and so on. Number of ticketsYou will be asked how many tickets you require. For Test matches, you may register for one or two tickets. For all other matches, you may register for one, two, three or four tickets.Ticket price rangeYou will be asked to nominate a price range you are willing to pay for tickets if you are successful in the ballot. The ticket ranges for the Test matches are as follows: 1. upto $1002. $101 - $2003. $201 - $300 The ticket ranges for the provincial and New Zealand Maori matches are as follows: 1. upto $502. $51 - $1003. $101 - $150 Once you have registered online, or if you include an email address on the registration form you send in, you will receive a confirmation email stating that your details have been logged for the ballot. If you do not have an email address, you will only be contacted if you are successful in the ballot.Age restrictionTo enter the ballot general members of the public must be over 16 years of age. Members of the Rugby Community who are under 16 can enter but will need to give their parent or guardian's contact details. When the ballot is drawn, ballot staff will contact the parents or guardians.Children's tickets For non-Test matches, you may request that any number of your tickets be children's tickets, which are sold at a family-friendly price.Each ground has allocated a certain number of children's tickets to be distributed via the ballot. If you are successful in securing tickets but the children's tickets to that particular match have already been allocated, you will be offered the opportunity to buy your requested number of tickets at full, adult prices. Paying for your tickets If you are successful in the ballot and you have accepted the ticket offer, you will have 48 hours to pay for the tickets and associated charges, including a booking fee and courier fee.You will be able to pay: over the phone by credit card; or in person at a New Zealand Post shop, by cash, EFTPOS, credit card using New Zealand Post BillPay.If payment is not received within 48 hours of your acceptance of the ticket offer, your tickets will be returned to the ballot pool.

Tourism and Playa del Carmen Real Estate to get boost - President launches "Vive Mexico"

A key factor in Mexico Real Estate, especially a market like that of Playa del Carmen, is the strength of tourism in the area. For this very reason, contrary to what one might think, now is the IDEAL time to buy here; because of the international recession and the swine-flu travel advisory, the current market is at a low point, which means reduced prices, sometimes very reduced. However, in addition to the confidence which the history of the Playa del Carmen real estate market offers us, (see Second chance in the Playa del Carmen Real Estate market in our real estate blog), the government of Mexico has just launched the Vive Mexico program, which will add to our confidence that the market will soon be on an upward trend, and that this is an ideal time to invest. Those considering buying a home, or looking for an investment in Playa del Carmen may hesitate to buy at a time when appreciation has leveled off. But considering the importance of tourism in this market, any indication that tourism will soon be on the rise again is a good sign. The Vive Mexico program considerably strengthens these prospects. President Calderon is challenging Mexicos tourist industry, Lets show the world what we really are, and do better than ever. This is just what the Vive Mexico program is going to do, redoubling effort in innovative ways to promote Mexicos tourist destinations, and offering special prices to an extent which has never been seen before. So, what does this program include? An unprecedented financial investment of 90 million dollars (1.2 billion pesos). This money will be used to promote Mexico in every way possible as a tourist destination full of life, attractions and benefits with no equal. The investment will be dedicated to promoting tourism in North America and throughout the rest of the world, both encouraging Mexicans to get to know their own heritage, and continuing to show the rest of the world the benefits of coming to Mexico. The message which Vive Mexico has for the world will be delivered through various media, and using celebrities such as actors and soccer players, and public figures from all walks of fame. The campaign has been called much more than just a promotional campaign " its a national movement which requires the participation of all Mexicans. In addition to the campaign itself, numerous other initiatives are being undertaken. One is an updated version of Playa del Carmens Digital Tourist Service Catalogue (Catalogo Turistico Digital), which includes catalogue of all services of interest to tourists in Playa and has been distributed on CD and very successfully received on an international level. The new version will included data from a recent census to offer more complete information. Also the government of this state is organizing an event (Vive la Vida en el Caribe Mexicano, Travel Shop el Mall de los Viajes) to complement the national program with promotion specific to Quintana Roo. So, theres going to be a lot of publicity " what else is going to be offered? In Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya, there are going to be reduced prices, all-inclusive packages which now include even more, such as extra nights in hotels, free entrance into eco parks, and numerous other incentives for tourists. Some packages are being offered as low as 50%. The campaign will focus on bolstering tourism this coming summer season, that is, within the next couple of months. For the Playa del Carmen real estate this means one thing; tourism, a key element in the market here, will rebounds and probably quite quickly. As tourism grows, the market trend will turn back up. This factor, in addition to numerous others which will give buyers confidence in the Playa del Carmen Real Estate market, make this an ideal time to invest in Playa del Carmen.

Cancun Real Estate by Cyndi Ader, originally from the US, has been living in Cancun, Mexico for 17 years. She is a member of A.M.P.I. (The Mexican Association of Real Estate Professionals) and is currently a member of the International Relations Committee. She is also an international affiliate of NAR (National Association of Realtors). She is the owner/broker of Cancun Properties Real Estate and specializes as a buyer's broker. for more information (512)-879-6546. Where 9 TOP real estate experts from ALL regions of Mexico come together to share their Tips & Knowledge to help you buy safely !"