Conventions bring cash in but they need it, too
KEARNEY ? Not too long ago, Roger Jasnoch says, you could impress meeting and tradeshow planners with a few perks.

Tampa Conventions Business Gets Major August Commitment
The city's meetings and conventions business will get a boost in August with a commitment from the Women of Faith group to bring its Grand New Day Conference Tour to the St. Pete Times Forum. The conference will draw about 15,000 attendees, according to a release by Tampa Bay & Co., which markets the visitors industry for Hillsborough County.

Nevada tourism chair defends China mission, ad campaign 'We went to China to work, not play'
CARSON CITY, Nev. - A 10-day tourism-building mission that Lieutenant Governor Brian K. Krolicki led to China last June involved morning-until-night meetings with influential Chinese officials and journalists, Krolicki said Friday, refuting criticism by Governor Jim Gibbons.

Four Points to meet tourist needs
KUCHING: After almost two decades, a new international hotel will open here.

The Greenbrier resort looking for quick solutions
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A Greenbrier County commissioner believes the owners of The Greenbrier resort should determine whether to sell the business before they decide whether to bring table games or slot machines into the historic resort.The president of Lewis...

Switcher's lament: The case against Mac
Beautiful hardware and a robust operating system don't trump apps and peripherals that don't work as they are supposed to.

Planned TIF raises concerns
Editors? note The City Council?s decision on the proposed development downtown was too late for this week?s edition and for complete coverage, check online at www.nlrtimes.com and next week?s paper.

Four Points to meet tourist needs
KUCHING: After almost two decades, a new international hotel will open here. Sheraton's Four Points Hotel, owned by Global Upline Sdn Bhd, will open for business next Saturday, to meet the rising demand for hotel rooms.

Council travel comes in below budget
City Council members and the mayor spent $38,640 on trips in 2008, going to conferences or conventions in Vail, Orlando, Fla., and Washington, D.C.

Backers want Seattle convention center to expand
Never mind the lousy economy. Backers of Seattle's convention center say the time is right for a $766 million expansion to lure more free-spending conventioneers downtown. Despite the state's...

Business calendar
#9830;Summit Computer Training Services, 3939 Parnell Ave.: PowerPoint 2003 Advanced will be Tuesday. Project 2007 Basic will be Wednesday. Outlook 2003 Advanced will be Thursday. Excel 2007 Basic, Photoshop Basic, Outlook 2007 Basic and Publisher 2007 Basic will be Jan. 12.

Does convention center really need to grow again?
Backers of Seattle's convention center say it needs a $766 million expansion to lure more free-spending conventioneers downtown. But the Washington State Convention & Trade Center's track record ? and the struggles of convention centers elsewhere ? raise questions about the wisdom of expansion.

Consumer Electronics Show turns down volume
The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas -- known in years past for its outsized booths, wall-to-wall crowds and lobster dinners -- is going to be a lot tamer this month.

Shahid Buttar: Could Gitmo Get Worse? The Policy Implications of Executive Accountability
If we can't attain a national consensus against surveillance trampling the rights of every American, what hope exists of a progressive consensus emerging on torture or detention?

Firms in tourism industry share tips in managing business, manpower costs
SINGAPORE: Companies in the food and beverage (F&B) sector are getting tips from their peers and tripartite partners on how to manage manpower and business costs to tide over the economic crisis.

Nigeria: Uwais Committee Report - Ten-Year Ban for Electoral Offenders
A 10-year ban awaits election riggers, including candidates seeking elective office whose elections are nullified by the tribunal, should the Presidency, the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly accept a proposal by the Justice Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reform Committee, ERC, Sunday Vanguard can now reveal.

Session gives economy biennial boost
The winter months can be a slow time for tourism in Helena, but every other year the city?s hospitality businesses ? along with others in different industries ? get a boost when the Montana Legislature convenes from January through late April.

Chamber has small-business issues forum
Small-business issues forum The monthly Small Business Issues Forum, open to members of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, meets Wednesday, giving small-business owners a chance to meet and share information and resources. The forum is scheduled from noon...

Will 2009 be the year of Rahul Gandhi?
Rahul Gandhi has slowly emerged out of the self-imposed cocoon in the year that went by.

Sheraton Kuching to open on Jan 17
After almost two decades, a new international hotel will open here. Sheraton?s ?Four Points? hotel, owned by Global Upline Sdn Bhd, will begin business on Jan 17, to meet the rising demand for hotel rooms.