Successful Meetings magazine reports what’s HOT and what’s NOT in regards to holding conferences:

HOT: Residential atmosphere: A hearth is the heart of a home and a place for people to gather, and that is why a large fireplace was included at The Chattanoogan in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In the conference area, the colors are warm and inviting with fabrics and textured patterns on the walls.

NOT: Windowless environments: Groups want meeting rooms with natural light, which brings more personality to the space.

HOT: Site-specific venues: The interior of the Southern Pine at the Callaway in Pine Mountain, GA, relates to the conference center’s surroundings with carpets that have leaf patterns, chandeliers created from branches and pine cones, and dining room chairs adorned with tree bark. Many conference centers are opting for terraces connected to meeting space to expand the learning environment outdoors.

NOT: The neutral syndrome: Very corporate-looking, gray, nondescript spaces are out because they do not inspire creative thinking.

HOT: Corporate casual: For men, corporate casual translates into a button-down shirt with khakis; and for women, a sweater set with slacks is appropriate. Polo shirts with corporate logos are also popular.

NOT: Jeans, suits: Blue jeans are too casual, and constricting suits don’t allow people to feel comfortable enough to think out of the box.

HOT: White boards, flip charts: Groups are still using white boards and flip charts extensively, because of their ease of use and simplicity.

NOT: 35-mm slide projector: Except for doctors, who still use 35-millimeter slides during conferences, most groups are moving toward computer-based slide shows.

HOT: Wireless Internet: Besides enabling attendees to check e-mail from anywhere on property, wireless Internet access makes for a cleaner setup in the meeting room. In some locations, computer users are given a wireless card or antenna adapter for their laptops.

NOT: Web-enabled cell phone: People want to use their cell phone for a phone call, and not much else.

Talk

Tim Manners editor of Cool News talks this week about tombstone ads. Acclaim Entertainment says it "will pay (U.K.) relatives of the recently bereaved in return for placing small billboards on headstones," reports MediaGuardian's Mark Oliver. The ads would promote ShadowMan 2, a Sony Playstaton 2 game that's billed as "a journey to the Deathside." An Acclaim Entertainment spokesperson comments: "It's a dark, gory type of game and we thought it was appropriate to raise advertising to a new level."

Acclaim says gravestone ads are not regulated, however, the "Church of England said that there was no way it would allow any of its graveyards to be used in such a fashion." A spokesperson comments: "There was enough fuss with plastic flowers in churchyards." Matthew Carrington, chairman of the Outdoor Advertising Association, also said such ads would be illegal..."and of course there could be issues of desecration," he added.

Denying that its offer is a "cynical media stunt," Acclaim says it is dead serious (ha-ha) and that "payments would be calculated with regard to the exposure potential of any particular headstone." Acknowledging that some may find the deal offensive, an Acclaim spokesperson suggests it might "particularly interest poorer families" by providing "a subsidy to burial costs to give their loved one a good send-off."

No, not cynical at all. Sony "said it would not comment on the advertising tactics of third parties that produce games for them under license."