JAMAICA TRIP

I was again invited to the Half Moon Resort Ambassador Awards weekend event in Jamaica. This event honors all their major suppliers.

If you have not been to Jamaica or stayed at this property let me give you a quick overview of how the other half lives. It is truly a five star property, but very low keyed. They are accustomed to Royalty, old money, new money, those seeking solace, those needing a one upmanship conversation piece and for those who just want to recapture romance. There is something for everyone on this 400 acre property.

Arriving at the new airport in Montego Bay, the immigration process was very quick and of course you are ushered out into the arrival hall where there is a Half Moon hospitality centre to welcome you and take care of your transportation and amenities. Refreshments of course is provided. The hotel is approximately 15 minutes from the airport, so your travel time is quite short.

To enter this property, is like visiting an enchanted garden. Simply awesome. My room was a small home. Master bedroom suite with four poster bed and separate living room: french doors in the back and front, leading to private terrace. See photos.

The weekend was full of activities and the evenings always another spectacular event. The Ambassador Awards evening is black tie and truly lives up to its billing.

While there, you must visit the Spa. Had a one hour facial that puts you into another realm. They are the best. You can stay in the meditation room (see photo) or relax with a cup of local tea or do full his & hers body massage. I prefer to sit outside under the palm tree and watch the Dolphins. It was sad to leave, but had two days to prepare for my upcoming trip to London.

ECONOMY

Saw this article and thought if might be of interest to my advertisers. Do not like to be the bearer of bad news, but the reality is that consumers and businesses are having a tough time in this economy.

The Bridal Market continues to buck this trend, couples are still getting married and adding to the revenue stream of destinations and suppliers. Of course most of this is being done online.

" Mag Bag: Ad Pages Drop, Holiday Season Looks Grim by Erik Sass, Thursday, Nov 6, 2008 5:26 PM ET Ad Pages Drop, Holiday Season Looks Grim

As the economy continues its downward spiral, consumer spending is dropping, and retailers are bracing for a dismal holiday season. That's bad news for magazines, where ad pages are basically in free-fall, with the declines accelerating from month to month.

As of July, the total ad pages of approximately 210 leading weekly and monthly magazines were down 6.4% for the year-to-date, according to MIN Online. However, by November, the year-to-date decline had widened to 8.5%. A 10% cumulative decline by December is not inconceivable, given worsening economic trends.

On Oct. 28, the Conference Board announced that its consumer confidence index had plummeted to an all-time low of about 38 out of 100, a drop of over one-third from its level of 61.4 in September. The expectations index--which evaluates consumer sentiment about the future--went even lower, dropping from 61.5 to 35.5. Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board's research center, said the decline in the confidence index was "the lowest reading on record" since the index began tracking consumer attitudes in 1985.

Just a few days later, the Commerce Department said consumer spending slid 3.1% in the third quarter--the biggest drop since 1980, while the economy contracted by 0.3% in the third quarter. A survey of purchasing managers showed the biggest drop in inventory purchases since 1968 in October; the Institute for Supply Management said its index tumbled to 37.8%, exceeding all 58 forecasts assembled by Bloomberg News. That is significantly lower than the level of 56.7% at the beginning of the recession in 2001. The 50-point level marks the dividing line between business growth and contraction, according to Bloomberg.

Retailers are already cutting back on advertising in a big way. According to Ad Age, Macy's said it will eliminate all magazine advertising in the first half of 2009, although its holiday marketing budget is still largely intact. Subsequently, The New York Times reported that Neiman's specialty retail segment--including Neiman Marcus Stores and Bergdorf Goodman--saw sales tumble 27.6% in October, while Nordstrom is down 15.7%, and Target fell 4.8%.

Even More Layoffs

The magazine business is not done chopping, according to Gawker.com, which said Thursday afternoon that M. Shanken Communications, publisher of Wine Spectator and Cigar Aficionado, is laying off 20 staffers. The New York Times also reported that Eric Schurenberg, the managing editor of Money, was let go as part of Time Inc.'s 600 layoffs. He will leave the company after completing Money's December issue."

OCTOBER FINAL UPDATE

A bit late with my final October Update, but those of you who travel with some frequency do know how difficult it is to keep up.

Came back from the Bahamas and had two days to host a political dinner party for a small group of 50+ influential guests. That is my husband getting ready for the evening. I took the photo from the balcony of my bedroom.

Since entertaining is one of my passions, and I have accumulated all manner of serving and table equipment to accommodate 100, this group was a breeze to prepare for. As usual I did all the cooking, and if you ever get invited to a Caribbean household, you will know that in addition to discussing business, food is usual the centerpiece of the evening. Prepared a variety of dishes, and had enough left over to feed another 50.

In order to host the party, I had to cancel my trip to Trinidad where the Caribbean Tourism Conference was being held. This was of course a major disappointment for me not to be able to attend this prestigious event, as I am a member of the Executive Committee and Chairman of the CTO Foundation.

I am delighted that I was again elected to the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Tourism Organization and do want to thank all the Allied Members for their support.

It was then off to Jamaica to attend the Half Moon Resort Ambassador Awards Gala.

BAHAMAS TRIP

I am always pleased and delighted when I have to go to the Bahamas. Getting off the plane, going through a very polite and gracious customs and then into beautiful sunshine and cool breezes always create an instant "I am never going to leave here" feeling. I constantly have to resist the urge to act like a child and just twirl around until I am picked up.

Of course I quickly get back to reality, knowing that my trip is about business and the Director of Romance will be there to greet me. She embodies everything that I aspire to be. Classy, sophisticated, charming, knowledgeable.

My evening ended with a dinner meeting of the members of the Bahamas Bridal Association at a lovely private home. And to top it all off it was held at poolside.

The next day was a conference on the bridal market and my visit was to address and participate in this event. Very informed group with a desire to be the best in the region, and I have no doubt that this will be accomplished. You can see some of the table settings displayed at this event.

The day ended with an elegant dinner in a private home with an impressive guest list. I was truly honoured to be invited. Unfortunately I had to leave the next morning as I had another commitment in another destination. It was a beautiful trip from beginning to end.

For this very brief trip I stayed at the Wyndham Hotel. While it is a very large hotel the surroundings are clean and the staff very gracious. The room was well kept and housekeeping did an excellent job in keeping the room spotless.