This Week's Herman Trend Alert The Consequences of Virtual Meetings

The Herman Trend Alert December 2, 2009 Future of Cruising A water park with three slides, two bowling alleys, a rock climbing wall, and Las Vegas-level entertainment. No, we are not describing a new Disney or Gaylord resort; we are describing new cruise ships, currently on the drawing boards. Never mind the ports of call, cruise ships are becoming destinations. Norwegian Cruise Line's megaship Epic, launching in July, will feature 20 dining options, as well as offering the highly acclaimed Blue Man Group on its main stage, and jazz and comedy clubs provide lots of entertainment. Royal Caribbean's equally impressive Oasis of the Seas, launched just this week, provides its 5000+ passengers with many amenities, including a rope zip line that diagonally spans nine-decks above the ship's open-air atrium. Moreover, the ship has a Las-Vegas-style Royal Promenade and six other themed "neighborhoods", providing the opportunity to find personally relevant experiences. With ships as destinations, the trend is towards reducing the number of ports visited. With more days at sea, the cruise lines' onboard spas and casinos will earn higher revenues---a positive effect on the bottom line. According to a recent survey from America's Vacation Center Affiliates, 79 percent of consumers are currently buying on price, while 14 percent are buying on destination, and only seven percent make their buying decisions by cruise line. The agents polled in the Cruise One/Cruises, Inc. survey reported similar results, though in their findings even more consumers are buying on price (83.6 percent). With a trend toward people being cautiously optimistic, we are seeing more stability in bookings, although people are currently either booking far out or closer in. New Zealand and The Baltic Region are particularly hot attractions in the coming year. For the affluent traveler, most cruise lines offer private areas surrounding suites, closed to public access, some with butler service. Then there is the trend towards adventure cruising. If you have unlimited funds, you might want to take Crystal Cruises' special excursion "Extreme Overnight Adventure in Antarctica" for a mere $9957/night. Or you might choose to take Holland America's Cruise to the World Cup, stopping in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, and Durban. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: RETENTION SPECIALIST PROGRAM A growing number of people have expressed an interest in attending our Employee Retention Specialist Certificate Program. We'd like to schedule on that's convenient for those who want to attend, but need your feedback to do so. Please place RETENTION SPECIALIST in the subject line and Joyce will personally call you back to schedule the workshop. Or you can call Joyce directly at 336-210-3548 (PDT this and next week). BUSINESS IS PICKING UP Most employers are unprepared. The recovery will bring a new set of challenges for employers that have been in prolonged contracted mode. They will need more skilled workers or will need now to begin to upskill their current staffs. But organizations can not engage in Strategic Workforce Planning, when they don't know how. That's where The Herman Group can help. We can help you with your "People Review"----large or small---so that you will know who you will need and when you will need them. . . and we can also guide you to the best sources for the people you will need. For more information, call Joyce at 336-210-3548 or e-mail joyce@hermangroup.com. FIND OUT WHAT YOUR EMPLOYEES REALLY THINK AND FEEL Discover what’s really going on in the hearts and minds of your employees. Our InnerViews interviewing service uses SPHRs and PHRs, certified human resource professionals to probe for the information you really need to know. Exit and Stay Interviews, as well as Why-Didn't-You-Take-Our-Offer Interviews. Call Rosalie Catalano at 937-416-7066, or read more at: http://www.hermangroup.com/retentionconnection/exit_interviews.html. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

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