Almost 500 years ago, a document was written that was considered blasphemous, earned its author a death sentence and changed the face of the Christian faith forever.

On October 31, 1517, a former monk nailed his “95 Theses” to a church door in Wittenberg, Germany. With that simple act, Martin Luder (his birth name) opened the vault to a piercing view of the religious doctrines and practices of the powerful Roman Catholic church, and the Reformation was born.

Flash forward about half-a-millennium and today you’ll find faithful followers of Martin Luther’s doctrines (as well as history buffs and culture junkies) making their way through what’s now known as “LutherCountry,” an area that encompasses the neighboring states of Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. Located between Berlin and Frankfurt, this part of Germany evokes a fairytale feeling with its castles, palaces and forests while simultaneously embracing all the modern comforts of city living.

Meeting and event planners looking for a special destination to hold their next conferences should consider a trip to LutherCountry, especially given the opportunity to participate in some of the events planned for the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation.

One notable city for events is Eisenach. Towering above the city center is Wartburg Castle, where Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German while in hiding. Inside the castle (the only one in Germany to hold UNESCO World Heritage Site status), you’ll find the magnificently decorated banquet hall. With approximately 1,150 square feet of space running the length and width of the palace, meetings and special events are often held here. In the town center, the 127-room Steigenberger Hotel Thuringer Hof (with eight conference rooms that can accommodate up to 200) offers a basic conference package that makes meeting planning simple. For a night out, conference attendees can walk to the Lutherstuben restaurant inside the Hotel Eisenacher Hof to enjoy a candlelit meal typical of what Martin Luther would have eaten in his day.

Considered Luther’s spiritual home, Erfurt is where he studied, became a monk and lived in an Augustinian monastery. He was also ordained as a priest there. Each year on November 10, Erfurt holds its annual St. Martin’s festival, but the city is spectacular any time of year. Nicknamed the “Rome of the North” due to its gorgeous steeples and spires, the city center is one of the best-preserved medieval sections in Germany. With 68 rooms and suites, Victor’s Residenz-Hotel offers eight conference rooms that can accommodate up to 400, and offers packages at various price points.

Aside from those in Eisenach and Erfurt, LutherCountry offers a variety of meeting venues. One especially worthy of consideration is the Kurhaus in Wiesbaden, which can accommodate up to 3,000. With its antique-style foyer and soaring cupola, it’s considered one of the most extraordinary conference centers in Germany. And while not technically in LutherCountry, the 218-room Jumeirah Frankfurt (within 20 minutes of the airport and easy walking distance of the underground station) is a spectacular new addition to the hotel scene. Planners looking for top-notch accommodations in the heart of the city will be delighted with its 2,000-sq.-ft. Crystal Ballroom, which features thousands of crystals embedded into the ceiling, and four meeting rooms.

Taxes
Canada’s Foreign Convention and Tour Incentive Program  offers reduced tax incentives for international groups that hold their meetings in the country. For rebate information, requirements and forms go to the FCTIP website.

Passports
Passports are required for any air travel outside the U.S. and its territories. They’re no longer cheap (for adults, $135; for kids under 16, $105), can take up to two months to process, and first-timers must apply in person. For forms and info, go to travel.state.gov/passport.

Mobile Phones
The new iPhone 4S is a world phone. It can be bought from AT&T, Verizon and, for the first time, Sprint. Even if you get your iPhone 4S from Verizon, whose CDMA network is incompatible with the GSM networks used in most other countries, you’ll still be able to make calls overseas, either through Verizon or by inserting another carrier’s SIM card. Whatever mobile phone you use, you should call your wireless provider to make sure it is ready to make and receive calls in a foreign country. You can also check with your carrier for the exact rates in the countries where you’ll be traveling. Calls will be charged on a per-minute basis. For subscribers with U.S. cell phone service, domestic voice, text message or data plans do not apply when traveling in another country. SMS text messaging is typically the cheapest way to communicate with people in the country where you’re traveling and also with people back home in the U.S.

Attendee Info
Create your own international tip sheet for attendees and include with event information.

Online Resources
The State Department posts current travel warnings and alerts on its site at travel.state.gov, which also has passport information. While the customs process has become more streamlined there are still certain restrictions and requirements. For specific dos and don’ts, choose “Tips for Traveling Abroad” on the international travel page. Lonelyplanet.com is also a useful site for international travelers. Users can click on the world map for information on global destinations, including crime and practical concerns.

<< Return to International Understanding

“We spend a lot of time talking with planners about why they might want to take their meeting to Canada,” says David Whitaker, president and CEO of Tourism Toronto. Besides the value and curiosity factors, Whitaker and his team have found a number of other reasons why U.S. associations might consider it. “Their mission may no longer have [geographic] borders and may now include a global context,” he says. “If you’re interested in a global agenda and content then why not be interested in a place that’s as comfortable, convenient and appealing as Canada?”

That said, Canada does present the chance to meet someplace truly international but with most of the comforts of home. Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, British Columbia, offer attendees a healthy dose of familiarity (in fact, all have repeatedly served as American locations in films and TV) along with a sense of being somewhere quite different. Each comes with built-in and distinctly international cultural, educational and business networks, as witnessed in everything from restaurants and museums to the plethora of ethnic neighborhood and festivals.

The best example of that foreign/familiar combo can be found in the charming provincial capitals of Victoria, British Columbia, and Quebec City, Quebec, where—given those cities’ art, architecture, cuisine and language (in Quebec’s case, it’s Quebecois, a variation of French)—attendees might be forgiven for thinking that they’d landed in either Westminster, London or the Normandy Coast. And yes, even in the most Old World cafes and shops of Quebec, English is commonly heard.

EASY ACCESS, PLENTIFUL SPACE
Attendees also will discover that Canada’s cities are as accessible as many of their American counterparts. Air service between the countries is competitive in terms of price and frequency, with many direct and non-stop flights from major carriers. And depending on the destination, travel times can be quick—Quebec, Toronto and Montreal, for example, lie within a two-hour flight of most Northeast and Midwest cities.

Once in town, attendees should find Canada’s meeting spots decidedly user-friendly. “You can walk from end to end of our downtown in about 20 minutes,” says Erin Lee, business development for meetings and conventions at Meetings and Conventions Calgary. Alberta’s largest city also features a light rail transit system (free in the downtown core) and 10 miles worth of climate-controlled passageways for cooler weather. Montreal, Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta, are equipped with their own systems of enclosed, weather-proofed walkways and passages, in some cases with tie-ins to local mass transit stations.

In Canada, planners also can count on the quality and quantity of meeting and exhibit space that they’ve become accustomed to in the states. From British Columbia to Halifax, the list of major centers runs long and deep, with many of the major Canadian cities also providing additional venues and facilities designed to accommodate industry-specific (e.g., agriculture, technology, automotive) trade shows and exhibitions.

FOUR SEASON FUN
Attendees love to toss around the term “added value” and Canada, fortunately, comes with plenty. For starters, consider Canada’s seemingly endless natural beauty and outdoor recreation, much of which is a short trip from downtown meeting spots. In the west, Vancouver provides an easy jumping-off point for group adventures on Vancouver Island (think sailing, kayaking, hiking and deep sea fishing) and is a two-hour drive or train ride south of Whistler, British Columbia’s premier mountain meetings resort town.

In Alberta, planners can hold meetings in Calgary and Edmonton, then send attendees out for terrific teambuilding and group recreation in the Rocky Mountains around Jasper, Canmore and Banff, a combined resort town and national park where human visitors stroll side-by-side with elk and deer. Summers here bring golf, rafting, horseback riding and mountain biking, while winters are truly a wonderland, with dogsledding, snowshoe hiking, and downhill and cross-country skiing.

The winding, cobblestone streets of Quebec’s walled-in Old City and the nearby historic Plains of Abraham battlefield are ideal for group day trips or free-time exploration. A local and tourist favorite winter sight in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada’s elegant and historic capital city, is the graceful stream of ice skaters gliding along the landmark Rideau Canal. Prince Edward Island is home to spectacular beaches, the world’s best mussels and one of youth literature’s best-known and favorite characters, Anne of Green Gables. Tremblant, just outside of Montreal, is a year-round, all-encompassing resort where indoor activities like shopping and dining hold their own against outside fun on the ski slopes and forest hiking trails.

For a truly memorable teambuilding experience, it’s hard to beat what Canada offers at its former Olympic sites. To wit, groups can visit and experience first-hand gold-medal thrills, revel in memorable moments, and even hold a luncheon or private reception at the country’s former Olympic venues in Vancouver, Whistler, Calgary and Montreal.

Central and South America

Cathedral of Bogota, Colombia

From campgrounds and hostels to hotels and conference centers, Latin American destinations provide a wide choice of venues and pricing options. In South America, Colombia’s five international airports make the country easily accessible for North and South American travelers. Colombia’s largest city and capital is Bogota, an ideal destination for groups looking for easy airlift. Located 8,661 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains, Bogota has gone to great lengths to lower its crime rate and elevate its image as a safe tourist destination. Part of this endeavor includes the construction of major U.S. hotel chains in the early 2000s — Marriott, Sheraton and Hilton — and a mass transit system that has become a model for other transportation systems in the continent. The city also has the largest network of bicycling paths, covering 186 miles. Each Sunday, the streets of Bogota are closed to motor vehicles, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to enjoy the paths in a citywide celebration called Ciclovia. Bogota’s metropolitan landscape is dotted with well-preserved churches dating back to colonial times and its 29 religious temples are a focal point for many groups.

The fifth largest city in Latin America, Lima, Peru, is a melting pot of European, African and Asian cultures. The city is home to world-renowned museums and churches dating back to the 16th century. Art and religious significance are combined in the Cathedral of Lima and Monastery of San Francisco, which contain paintings from various schools of art and are connected by underground catacombs. Most notable are the dozens of ancient temples within the city center left untouched thanks to the efforts of archaeologists and residents. These ancient structures are a sharp contrast to Lima’s bustling metropolis, marrying historical importance with modern efficiency.

For groups requiring a Latin American location where English is widely spoken, Buenos Aires, Argentina, is a city easy to navigate. It’s integrated transportation system of subways, trains and buses make visits to notable sites quick and cost-effective. Home to one of the top five book fairs in the world, the city is populated with hundreds of book stores, public libraries and cultural associations. A popular tour stop is the Metropolitan Cathedral, a pictorial museum of religious heritage containing a working 19th-century pipe organ that’s used daily. A main meeting point for Latin American businesses, Buenos Aires has three exhibition centers and a wide range of sleeping accommodations to fit any budget.

The Caribbean

West coast of Barbados

The islands of the Caribbean, from Jamaica to Barbados, can be cost-effective options for groups depending on season. The Dominican Republic is currently the best value of the islands, offering all-inclusive options that bundle room rate, meals and in some cases conference facilities in one daily rate. Although not as economical, Jamaica’s Montego Bay properties also offer all-inclusive packages at hotels in close proximity to the airport. Comparatively, Barbados offers higher-end sleeping accommodations at both all-inclusive hotels and those priced by daily room rate alone.

English is widely spoken in the Caribbean. Since tourism is the main economic driver, foreign travelers are warmly welcomed. High season in the Caribbean — which means increased rates and more tourists — is from mid-December to mid-April. Planning outside of these months affords the greatest group discounts, but hurricane season is also in effect, causing elevated travel risk during this time period.

Africa

Located on Africa’s east coast, Kenya is a diverse nation with 70 ethnic groups. Although English is the official language, more than 80 languages are spoken throughout the country. The longest established tourist destination in Africa, Kenya offers a range of group accommodations including traditional hotels, lodges located in national parks, tented camps with modern facilities and self-catering chalets. There are more than 200 official campsites, most located in national parks. Private home stays are also available for smaller groups looking to indulge in the culture from a native’s perspective.

Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, is the largest and most modern city in East Africa. The Kenyatta International Conference Centre is the city’s showpiece offering 360-degree views of Nairobi from a 30-story tower. The center can accommodate up to 5,000 delegates and offers a 26,306-sq.-ft. ballroom, the largest in East and Central Africa without a pillar.

Located approximately 30 miles from Nairobi, the Brackenhurst International Conference Centre is a serene option outside the metropolitan hustle and bustle. Nestled in the tea fields of Tigoni-Limuru, this countryside retreat rests at 7,500 feet, offering cool and refreshing air enjoyed by a variety of wildlife. Brackenhurst’s meeting rooms accommodate a range of group sizes from 300 people seated theater-style in the Clark Chapel to an intimate group of 14 seated conference style in the Lion’s Den. Sleeping accommodations are also varied and include single or double rooms and cottages that sleep up to six people. The dormitories are perfect for youth-group events; they have 19 to 22 bunk beds and shared bathrooms.

The African Cape is another great choice for groups. Located halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth in George, South Africa, Carmel by the Sea offers meeting facilities and accommodations perched on rolling hills with magnificent views of Victoria Bay. Caravan Park, which includes full access to Carmel’s facilities, has standard rooms in guest houses, self-catering units that accommodate up to eight people and campsites.

Asia

Golden temple in the Doi Suthep monastery near Chiang Mai, Thailand

Located 435 miles north of Bangkok, Chiang Mai is the largest and most culturally significant city in north Thailand. With more than 300 temples, 20 churches and 13 mosques, Chiang Mai has a rich religious and cultural history revealed also by its many museums and universities. The city offers a choice of group accommodations and meeting facilities. Located in the city center and 10 minutes away from the Chiang Mai International Airport, The Empress Hotel has 375 rooms and a state-of-the art convention facility. Also located in the city center is Lotus Hotel Pang Suan Kaew, which features two accommodations wings at different pricing levels. The Huay Kaew Wing has 246 economically priced rooms best for groups and families. Upgraded options can be found in the 420-room Suthep Wing. Meeting facilities are available in both wings.

If you’re looking for a retreat outside of the city center, the Suan Bua Hotel, Resort and Spa is an oasis nestled in 20 acres of gardens bordering the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. Only 13 miles from the airport, the hotel is still an easily accessible option for groups and is close to historical sites such as the centuries-old Chiang Mai Walled City. The hotel has 176 guest rooms in several buildings spread out into the gardens. The hotel’s newest meeting room accommodates up to 250 people.

Ranked as having the best quality of life in Asia, the island country of Singapore is another ideal Southeast Asia location for groups. English is the most dominant of the four official languages spoken in Singapore, streamlining communication and making a translator unnecessary for U.S. groups.

Located in Singapore’s historical district, Fort Canning Lodge is a 175-room hotel nestled in Fort Canning Park, one of the greenest parts of the city. Owned and operated by the YWCA of Singapore, the hotel’s meeting space includes 10 private function rooms, a small exhibition hall and a large ballroom accommodating up to 500 people.

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Read additional articles about planning international meetings from the December issue of Rejuvenate:

> Q&A: Cheryl Bell, Passion World Tour

> International Understanding

By Kate Burton

Whether it’s an annual conference for 400 in Manila or a small post-conference meeting tagged onto a larger convention in Mexico City, planning international meetings brings challenges beyond those of a U.S.-based meeting. There are taxes we don’t have here, contractual differences, accessibility and entrance requirements, and a host of other details that can’t slip through the cracks. And even when an international meeting takes place on home soil, there are special factors a planner needs to consider. Read on for the 12 things you must know to plan an international meeting.

Site Selection

1. Let your goals determine the site: As with any other meeting, the goals of the meeting should be a primary driver of site selection. As associate meeting planner for the Seventh-day Adventists World Headquarters, Sheri Clemmer plans the organization’s international annual council. The meeting, which draws about 400 committee members and 300 spouses from around the world, usually takes place in the Silver Spring, Maryland, headquarters. But every five years, the meeting goes outside the United States, most recently in Manila in the Philippines.

Since one of the main goals of the international annual council is to open the weekend worship events to local church members, Clemmer says, “That means we look for a destination we haven’t been to recently and one that has at least a 15,000-member base in the area. It’s a huge expense to hold a meeting internationally, as opposed to in the United States, so we want to make sure that local members can participate.”

On the other hand, as former events manager and now communication officer for the Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services, Karen Moul often plans business meetings for the CRS around larger conferences sponsored by other organizations, such as the International AIDS Conference, so the site is sometimes pre-determined.

2. Ensure the destination is accessible to attendees: With the recent cutbacks in airline capacities this past year, accessibility has taken on a whole new importance. If attendees are coming from all over the world, the number of flights from a variety of destinations is key, as well as the cost of those flights. Moul, who’s planning a global management meeting for CRS’s HIV program in Africa this winter, says the group considered Zambia and Kenya before deciding on Tanzania. “We crunched the numbers for how much it cost to hold the meeting in each site as well as how much it cost to fly attendees there from all over the world—at least 50 percent of our expenses will be the cost of flying.”

3. Check out entrance requirements: For international attendees, the ability to get a visa to enter the destination country can be a make or break criterion. African nationals, for example, can sometimes have problems getting visas for entry into certain Latin American countries. And even the United States as a destination presents its own challenges for attendees from less politically stable countries.

It’s standard for the host organization to write a letter of invitation to the invited delegates, which attendees can bring to their own embassy to acquire the visa. Sometimes an additional letter is required, essentially stating that the host organization guarantees the moral and ethical conduct of the attendee as well as ensuring that the attendee will return to their own country of origin.

In addition to a visa for entry to the country of the meeting, some attendees will need transit visas if they have to make connections in certain countries. “When we met in Toronto, some of our attendees were originally denied transit visas through Amsterdam, which is known for having advantageous refugee laws,” Moul says. “They were afraid that the attendees might stay instead of continuing on their connecting flights so we had to write additional letters to confirm we would vouch for those delegates.”

4. Make sure attendees can afford the destination: Affordability is, of course, always key, but if your organization is not paying for attendees, hotel prices in particular can become even more of an issue. “We have to be very conscious and cautious about the spending abilities of attendees coming from foreign countries,” says Kevin Brooks, coordinator of conference management for the Church of God International Offices, based in Cleveland, Tennessee. Held in various locations around the United States, the biannual international general assembly attracts 15,000 to 20,000 attendees from some 170 countries around the world. “There can be a tremendous difference for some attendees in the difference, say in a hotel room that’s $115 versus $160.”

Communications

5. Bring registration and housing online: “We started online registration in 2004,” says Brooks, “and by 2008, almost 60 percent of our registration was online. By 2010, we expect that to grow to 80 percent or more. They can see all the information they need online, make their decisions, and pay for it all with credit cards, which really facilitates the registration process for international attendees—my delegates in Indonesia, for example, are booking while I’m asleep!” In addition to registration for the convention, Brooks uses an online housing bureau so attendees can make all their hotel selections online as well.

6. Ensure connectivity at the site: While we assume that a U.S. destination will have high-speed Internet access and high-tech abilities, a planner can’t always make that assumption about an international destination. “In Manila, we were able to use our laptops as long as we had the right plugs,” says Clemmer, “but we looked at some destinations that would have required adapters and converters just to use a laptop.” Moul notes that it’s not just the planners who need internet access, but attendees as well. “We have people who are out of their offices for a week and halfway around the world—they have to be able to stay in touch,” she says. “In developing countries, in particular, connectivity can present issues so we check to make sure they have the bandwidth as well as connections in every room.”

Cell phones, too, can present issues. Clemmer notes that even though her cell phone was supposed to work internationally, it “didn’t work as it was supposed to” in Manila. To circumvent issues, they purchased 15 local cell phones for key staff and uploaded minutes as needed. She also pre-programmed important phone numbers into the temporary cell phones so everyone was easily accessible to each other.

Business Differences

7. Know the norms: It’s impossible to generalize about business practices outside of the United States for the simple reason that customs vary so much by individual country. In Japan, for example, it’s critical to know and respect the business hierarchy of the people you’re working with, while Australian business norms tend to be on the casual side, similar to U.S. customs. You can probably expect a swift response from an Austrian hotel, while one in Latin America might take a bit more time to respond. “In Asia, in particular, there are a lot of conventions about the way you do business,” says Moul. “The way that you greet someone, what you call them, who you speak to first…these are all things that can undo your meeting if you don’t know the proper protocol.” Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands is an excellent series of books outlining business customs throughout the world.

8. Follow the rules: One rule of thumb is that planners should expect to pay for meeting rooms, unlike in the United States, where they’re often complimentary if enough guest rooms or catering is booked. Cancellation and attrition clauses can also be very different from what a planner will find in the United States.

Clemmer says that she always has all contracts reviewed by legal counsel, and that contracts, regardless of which language they’re written in, are subject to the laws of the destination country.

However, if you’re uneasy about the contract or the terms, sometimes it might be best to bow out. Clemmer related her experience trying to plan a meeting in the Ukraine several years ago. While pointing out that it’s entirely possible business practices have changed since this episode, she says, “At the time, I couldn’t get them to give me a contract that I felt confident would stick. I was ready to sign four years in advance of the meeting, but they told me they couldn’t do it till 18 months out. I went back later and there were still some questions whether they’d have the sleeping rooms available. I finally had to move the meeting somewhere else because I felt they just didn’t have the right things in place to do that kind of meeting at that time.”

9. Find a local liaison: If you’re lucky, your organization might already have an office in the destination, like Moul, who has had the luxury of local offices in such diverse destinations as Tanzania and Bangkok to recommend hotels and other vendors. Clemmer, too, had a local office that was able to help with her meeting in Manila.

In addition to the local office, she worked with a local travel agency. “It was very interesting because we weren’t permitted to work directly with the hotels to even negotiate our own contacts,” she says. “Because they were local, they were able to get far better rates than we could. If we went in as an outsider, we would get different rates for everything from food and beverage to hotel accommodations and shuttles.”

This is a phenomenon that’s also common throughout Latin America. In addition to a travel agency, planners will find the help of a destination management company (DMC) or professional conference organizer (PCO) can be invaluable in a foreign country.

Finances

10. Be prepared to pay in advance: Unlike in the United States, many international destinations require large advance deposits and sometimes even payment in full before the actual meeting or convention. “That’s one of the differences we didn’t like,” laughs Clemmer. “We had to pre-pay anywhere between 75 and 100 percent of most of our expenses in Manila before we even landed,” she says, citing shuttle services, hotels, and convention center fees as examples.

11. Decide how you’re going to pay: If possible, the simplest strategy is to pay through a local office, which is what Clemmer did for her meeting in the Philippines. “All the invoicing was done in the Philippine peso and was paid by our division office there, then charged back to the main office,” she says. However, that’s not always possible. Carol Krugman, co-author with Rudy Wright of the 2006 book Global Meetings and Exhibitions, says one common approach is an “options contract,” which gives the organization the option to purchase foreign currency at a pre-determined price in a certain time period. Another possibility is a “forward contract,” which is an agreement to purchase a certain amount of funds at a pre-determined price on a specified date. An intermediary plan, called “layering,” allows planners the ability to purchase currency at intervals.

12. Don’t forget the additional costs: There are multiple costs that might be involved in an overseas meeting beyond the standard costs. Shipping and customs can add considerable costs and require advance planning and paperwork. Clemmer eliminated most of those needs by purchasing whatever she could on site. If you need to ship significant materials, a freight forwarder and/or customs broker can help guide the way.

Translation is another possible additional cost, both written translation for printed materials and simultaneous interpretation for the spoken word during the event.

Depending on the exact location, you might find other additional expenses. Clemmer, for example, says that she doesn’t provide transportation when in the United States, but that she has arranged for shuttles in some foreign destinations, such as Manila, where the traffic is so heavy that she didn’t want attendees to have to walk or find their own transportation.

On the flip side, you might also be able to save some money if you plan properly. Many countries outside of the United States include a value-added tax (VAT) on a range of meeting expenses, often including hotel accommodations, food and beverage, transportation, and more. Throughout most of Europe and some of Latin America, those taxes can be reclaimed or waived for host organizations as well as individual attendees, saving thousands of dollars off initial projected costs. In Mexico City, Moul found her hotel extremely helpful in guiding her through the process of having the VAT waived. A VAT reclamation service can also guide a planner about which countries charge VAT, as well as under what circumstances it can be reclaimed or waived.

Photos: COG/Cameron Fisher; Sheri Clemmer

By Patricia Bates

Before the 2010 Winter Olympics get underway in British Columbia a year from this February, let the games begin for meeting planners interested in going to Vancouver and Whistler.

Team-building exercises in the snow and ice can make champions of even the most amateur athlete in your group. No one has to qualify for anything as demanding as the luge to receive a medal or as flawless as a Lutz to get a perfect 10 from the judges.

For inspiration, special appearances by one of 3,300 Canadian Olympians can also be booked through Olympic Voice during your conference in British Columbia. Under the program by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), they can bring home the gold when it comes to motivating your attendees.

VANCOUVER
Whether beginner, intermediate or advanced, Snow School is where your group can train for your own Olympics at Grouse Mountain. There’s no sitting around a roaring fire with a cast on pretending they can’t ski anymore. This is where everyone can get the bunny slope basics.

Snow School is also where adults can learn to snowboard, and they even get a report card afterward. At the Peak Chalet of Vancouver, they can compare grades (and maybe flips and turns) at a private party later on Grouse Mountain.

For would-be leaders who like to put their foot down, the Snowshoe Adventure Challenge is a good alternative. Walking around Grouse Mountain can give them a sense of direction, especially when they are using their Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) coordinates along with a trail map and instructions.

Victory can be claimed after orienteering through the Munday Alpine Snowshoe Park, where they earn points at each marker. Those who get to the finish line first can have a Snowshoe Fondue with cheese and chocolate at a reception at the Peak Chalet.

If your participants don’t know a double-axel from a triple-toe loop, they can still go on the outdoor 3,000-square-foot Ice Skating Pond at Grouse Mountain. As the only rink of its kind on the West Coast, they will glide along at their own speed high above Vancouver.

The less active can be chauffeured around in a Sno-Limo through the forests at Grouse Mountain. They will ride in gravity-powered, multi-passenger vehicles around hills with titles like The Cut, Buckhorn and Heaven’s Sake at up to 4,100 feet above sea level. Afterward, they can be off to drinks and dinner at the nearby observatory.

Grab the Olympic “rings” on Sea Quest Scavenger Hunts in the coves and inlets around Vancouver. Teams have to sail boats over a 12-square mile radius in Howe Sound using only a list of questions, a navigational map and a cell phone. Through Sewell’s Marina, the three-person crews and their skippers have to decide which route to take as they look for answers about nature over their two-and-a-half hours on the ocean. Weather-permitting—even in February—the groups from eight to 180 members can go on the Sea Quest in covered vessels.

On these fact-finding expeditions, the innovative get bonus points for being creative. After the scores are tallied, they are given ribbons, hats or other awards. Then, it’s on to the galley for a meal at the Boathouse Restaurant in Horseshoe Bay or Doc Morgan’s Inn at Snug Cove on Bowen Island.

A Salmon Fishing Derby may not be among the trials for the 2010 Winter Olympics, but it is definitely competitive in Vancouver. All year around, anglers can hook a King salmon in the Straights of Georgia around Howe Sound.

With the plunging temperatures, the Chinook like to nibble on herring and anchovies along the Chinook Squamish River. Sewell’s Marina will equip three to five persons on a charter with the tackle, along with the bait to reel in up to the 25-pounders in a weigh-off on the shore.

WHISTLER
You can feel the adrenaline rush of the slalom without taking to the Olympic course on a Ziptrek Winter Twilight Tour through the Old Growth Rainforest in Whistler. In a harness, each individual flies through the darkness on a wire past 4,000 glowing lights on Blackcomb Mountain.

The participants wear headlamps on the trail of canopied bridges and boardwalks to reach the sheltered decks. Then, they get propel themselves from 200 to 1,000 feet along the five Ziptrek lines more than 150 feet above the valley floor. In the elements, Ziptrek can also outfit everyone in rain gear to gloves.

To warm up, take the Zip ‘n Chili Dinner Tour where the steaming hot soup will be ready for your guests later at an A-frame cabin near Fitsimmons Creek. By the fireside, they can have cocoa and cookies on Blackcomb Mountain.

VICTORIA
Like hang time on a ski jump, every second counts during the Urban Olympics at The Poets Cove Resort & Spa in Pender Cove near Victoria. Each person has to be at the top of their game to win on Pender Island.

These feats are organized for groups of eight to 40 through the Poets Cove Activities Centre. As one of their partners, Canadian Outback Adventures can also design the themes around Survivor, The Amazing Race, CSI, The Apprentice or Power of One.

OTHER B.C. ADVENTURES
Never mind that snow tubing or dog sledding has yet to be approved for the Olympics. You can still be a contender for it at The Hills Snow Park at the Hills Health Ranch at 108 Mile Ranch, which is about five hours north of Vancouver.

This Nordic ski facility has 150 km of trails for all levels, along with up to 1,000 vertical feet of elevations in the Cariboo region of the Province. If your group wants to have its own marathon, they could do so in the wilderness. For the aches and pains afterward, they can also soothe them at the indoor pool, spa or hot tubs.

The Snow Coach leaves weekly for Hills Health Ranch, which has more than 25,000 acres for cross-country to downhill. It also has two outdoor rinks, along with one of the largest groomed skating track systems in Canada. And, trails abound for snowmobilers.

At your meeting, have some pageantry at your closing ceremonies. After a horse-drawn sleigh ride, attendees can toast marshmallows around a bonfire in the 32-foot tepee. Or, they can raise a glass to each other in one of three lounges on the grounds.

TOURISM CONTACTS:

Tourism British Columbia
BestCities.Net (Tourism Vancouver’s convention bureau alliance with eight partners on five continents)
Tourism Vancouver
Tourism Whistler
Tourism Victoria

Photo: Ziplining at Fitzsimmons Creek, Whistler. Tourism BC/Toshi Kawano