SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico: In an unprecedented effort, the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) has announce the launch of several initiatives to garner a greater share of the lucrative meetings and incentives markets for the region. These initiatives include the formation of a CHA Groups, Meetings & Incentives sub committee (GMI); plans for member education, industry road shows; and the inaugural edition of Gold Book Publishing's Caribbean Meetings & Events guide. The consensus of a recent meeting of the Caribbean Hotel Association's Marketing Committee, determined that there was a need to establish a sub-committee to look after the association's members' interests in the "Groups, Meetings and Incentives" market. To that end, Emanuel Schreibmaier, V.P. Sales & Marketing for Sol Melia, Americas Division was elected Chairman of the committee, with Tim Grace, CHA's Acting Director of Marketing, as staff support. "The main goal of the GMI sub-committee is to develop the meetings and conventions initiatives in the region," states Schreibmaier. "According to the Meetings & Conventions 2002 Meetings Market Report, total spending on meetings and conventions in 2001 was $100 billion The Caribbean is an attractive region with vast resources. This is clearly a prime market for the region." The GMI "core" committee consists of Bill Volk of Nassau Paradise Island Promotions Board; Jorge Pesquera of the Puerto Rico Convention Board; Ellen Schuster of Hyatt Hotels; Mitch Ostrow from Atlantis; Marcia Bullock of the Jamaica Tourist Board; Myrtle Dwyer of Half Moon Beach and Golf Resort; Danny Hughes of Hilton International; Bob Troni of American Airlines; Peggy Richardson of American Express; Rebecca Kollaras of BlueSky Public Relations; Paul Ferguson of Travel Services. The GMI core committee has developed a mission statement that encompasses their goals. "The Caribbean Hotel Association members have recognized the growing meetings, incentive and group travel trends as viable revenue producers for the region. In the interest of capturing a sizeable portion of that business, the CHA Meetings & Incentives Sub-Committee will make a distinct effort to define service standards, educate members and develop the Caribbean meetings, incentives and group product as a whole. This effort supports and endorses the Caribbean as a cohesive region with a wide range of facilities and a strong commitment to service. This multi-phase project will also promote these offerings through all possible media channels to the full spectrum of group markets throughout the world." Further plans include the implementation of several educational seminars strategically located throughout the region. These educational seminars will inform members, from small hotels to large associations, what the meetings traveler is looking for. Additionally, plans for special events that bring together meeting planners, and incentive houses in three select source markets are also being considered. Further noting the Caribbean Hotel Association's commitment to the development of this market, Gold Book Publishing has launched the first publication on the Caribbean meetings market, as part of a complete program that includes a searchable website and a monthly electronic newsletter to promote meetings and events in the Caribbean. The inaugural edition of the oversized, glossy 'coffee table' publication entitled "Caribbean Meetings & Events," is being mailed on a complimentary basis to a database of 18,000 meetings and incentive planners, as well as intra-Caribbean meeting planners and qualified planners worldwide who join the program. The magazine includes a directory with 700 listings of Caribbean hotels with any meeting facility in 36 destinations. "In the tradition of The Caribbean Gold Book, listings do not carry a cost, to ensure the information is exhaustive, not limited to those who pay," explained Grace. Reprinted from Caribbean Net News