here and there
We all know that every meeting starts
with airlift the easier and faster the better. And that’s precisely why
México is a good choice for your next event. It has 57 international airports
and dozens of nonstop flights from major U.S. cities to the country’s
leading destinations. Below is a sampling of routes from American cities where
the México Tourism Board has its offices.
The chart on the right includes examples of the many direct flights from
the U.S.
to a range of Mexican destinations. Your group can fly non-stop from dozens of U.S. cities to
numerous Mexican destinations. For some cities, it’s easiest to fly to
México City first your group can fly direct to México City from 19 U.S. cities and
then hop a quick connecting flight that usually takes about an hour.
Once there, a DMC or tour operator can pick up your group. The next step
is deciding where to go. We help with that in our regional chapters in which we
divide the country in 7 major regions and cover the destinations in each. Here’s
a breakdown.
Baja California: This sunny peninsula is home to
renowned resorts including Los Cabos, Ensenada, La
Paz and Loreto.
North: State-of-the-art meeting infrastructure combines with the scenic Copper Canyon,
dazzling beaches and historical attractions in Monterrey,
Puerto Peñasco, Hermosillo, Chihuahua
and Durango.
Central: The heartland beats with the
sophistication of México City and the Spanish
colonial charm of Guadalajara,
Puebla, Querétaro, San Miguel de
Allende, Guanajuato, León and other picturesque cities.
Gulf/Isthmus: Culture, archeology, cuisine and
outdoor adventure reign in cities including Veracruz,
Oaxaca, Xalapa and Tampico.
Mundo Maya: Chichén Itzá and other World
Heritage archeological sites, beaches and jungle abound in the land of the
ancient Maya, along with the program-ready colonial cities of Mérida, Villahermosa and Campeche.
Mexican Caribbean: The famous resorts of Cancún,
Cozumel, Isla Mujeres and Playa del Carmen line the sugar-white Caribbean
beaches of the Yucatán
Peninsula.
Pacific Coast: Here are the resorts that started it all Acapulco, Puerto
Vallarta, Mazatlán, Manzanillo and Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo as
well as the newly minted Riviera Nayarit.
easy
airlift options
Destination: Mexico City
Fly direct to it from: Chicago,
Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, New York, Newark, Phoenix, San Antonio, San
Francisco
Flight times: From 2½ hours to 5 hours
Destination: Cancun
Fly direct to it from: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte,
Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston,
Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Miami, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia,
Phoenix, Raleigh/Durham, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis,
Washington D.C
Flight times: From 2½ hours to 5 hours
Destination: Los Cabos
Fly direct to it from: Atlanta,
Charlotte, Chicago,
Dallas, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Newark, Phoenix, Sacramento, Salt Lake City,
San Diego, San
Francisco
Flight times: From 2½ hours to 6 hours
Destination: Puerto Vallarta
Fly direct to it from: Atlanta,
Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Newark, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle
Flight times: From 2½ hours to 8 hours
Destination: Acapulco
Fly direct to it from: Houston,
Phoenix
Flight times: From 2 hours to 4 hours
Destination: Monterrey
Fly direct to it from: Atlanta,
Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, San Antonio
Flight times: From 1½ hours to 6½ hours
Destination: Leon
Fly direct to it from: Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Orlando
Flight times: 2½ hours to 9 hours
Destination: Mazatlan
Fly to it from: from Calgary,
Denver, Edmonton,
Houston, Los Angeles,
Minneapolis, Phoenix,
San Francisco, Seattle,
Toronto, Vancouver,
Winnipeg
Flight
times: From 2½ hours to 4 hours
why here?
Mexico offers 5 major advantages for meeting
planners looking for the right fit for their group and their budget.
#1 Easy
Access
Mexico is next door, sharing the border
with California, Arizona
and Texas.
“Today’s incentives and business meetings average four days,”
says AnnaCeleste Brenner, West Coast regional marketing director for Cancun-based
Tropical Incentives, Inc. “Mexico
is only three hours from most U.S.
cities, while it takes all day to get to Hawaii
or Europe.” Hundreds of direct flights
connect U.S. cities with Mexico’s
top destinations every day and it’s also easy to get to via ground
transportation from certain American cities.
#2 cost
savings
“I’m looking for great value and Mexico is unbeatable,” enthuses
Stephanie Starr, CMP, meetings and promotions manager for Boston-based Pioneer
Investments. “Compared to Florida, the Caribbean, Hawaii-Cancun, hands down, has the best
value,” she says. “Planners save from 10 to 50 percent on programs
in Mexico,”
says Brenner. Why? “Food and
beverage, labor and gasoline costs are so much cheaper in Mexico,”
she says. “Mexico
provides excellent value, with top quality food, service and resorts,”
agrees Amy Fay, incentive planner with Minneapolis-based Events Solutions.
#3 Tax
Breaks
Besides lower prices, planners save money through the zero percent VAT
(Value Added Tax) and other tax breaks. VAT is a sales tax applied to meetings,
exhibitions and conventions organized in Mexico by foreign
companies…and zero is a pretty good savings.
The VAT Exemption also eliminates the 10 percent sales tax in Border States and the 16
percent tax throughout the rest of the country on lodging, airport and
transfers. “I saved $45,000 on a U.S.
dental association meeting in Cancun using the VAT Exemption,” says
Andrea Young, CMP, president/event director of Innovative Events in California. “This
was on top of the 10 percent I saved in service charges by meeting in Mexico; in the U.S., hotel service charges average
20 to 24 percent.”
Also tax-free are related event services such as set-up, registration,
masters of ceremonies and translators, hosts, audiovisual equipment,
decorations, security, cleaning and food and beverage by the hotel or the
convention center as part of the event. Another nice break is that conventions,
seminars and meetings held in Mexico
are fully deductible for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. And the best news is
that planners don’t have to do the paperwork to get the zero percent VAT:
hotels and DMC´s are happy to do it for you.
#4
Infrastructure
“Mexico
has a fabulous infrastructure absolutely modern and high-tech in all the major
destinations,” enthuses Young. Mexico offers 42 major convention
and exhibit centers in dozens of cities, more than 495,000 hotel rooms and
3,100 luxury hotels available for meetings, and more than six million square
feet of meeting and exhibit space.
#5
Versatility
While fun in the sun may be the first thing planners associate with Mexico,
it’s actually one of the world’s prime business event destinations.
Mexico has hosted world
conferences on climate change, major association conventions, corporate
meetings for leading-edge U.S.
companies and, of course, thousands of incentives. Here’s how Mexico can
match up with your event.
Corporate meetings. Michele Simes, director of events
for PRO Group, Inc. in Colorado,
found the Ceiba Del Mar Beach & Spa Resort on the Riviera Maya to be
“a perfect fit” for a corporate gathering of 150 independent
hardware store owners. “The meeting’s theme was ‘best
practices and networking,’ and we took 70 of the resort’s 88 rooms,
so it was perfect for networking because our attendees were the only ones
there.”
Mexico’s wealth of major hotel brands, like Fairmont, Palace Resorts, InterContinental,
Four Seasons, Sheraton, Marriott and others, also ensures top-notch hotel
meeting facilities and services for corporate gatherings of up to 1,000 or more
attendees.
Conferences or trade shows. Mexico City is hosting the 2011
7th World Chambers of Commerce Congress, which draws 12,000 chambers of
commerce from 100 countries including the U.S. Cancun hosted MPI’s first
meeting outside the U.S. and Canada in 2010, the MPI Meet Different Cancun Mexico
Convention, which attracted 2,000 delegates, including 900 meeting planners.
In addition, Sony has staged international product roll outs in Cancun
and Acapulco, and Arctic Cat, a U.S. maker of extreme sports vehicles, exhibits
annually in Mexico.
Recently there are new
convention centers such as San Luis Potosi Convention Center, with facilities
for up to 45,000 sf; Queretaro Convention Center with 32,960 sf; Aguascalientes
Convention and Congress Center with 42, 500 sf; Metropolitan Convention Center
Tijuana with 24, 100 sf and Puebla Convention Center William O´Jenkins with 35,
000 sf.
Association meetings. “Mexico
is ideal for associations because you can’t beat it for cost-savings, the
hotel facilities are top-notch and Mexico’s friendliness makes
it perfect for families since many association delegates stay before or after
the meeting for a family vacation,” says Young. She organized a U.S. dental association meeting at the Fiesta Americana
Coral Beach
in Cancun and the members loved it, she recalls. Young says a U.S. pediatric association enjoyed Mexico so much that it’s considering
putting Mexico
on its meeting rotation schedule.
Incentives. “We wanted a big splash, and the El Cid
Resorts in Mazatlan delivered in spades,”
says Amy Oliverio, partner of Edsalls Group Services in San Diego. “The El Cid staff was
incredibly top-notch, with excellent follow-through, and the attendees had a
great time.”
Events Solutions’ Fay arranged a high level incentive in Puerto Vallarta for a Silicon Valley
firm, and used Tropical Incentives, Inc. as the DMC. “We wanted to create
an off-site event that was really unique and Tropical came up the idea of a
party at the luxurious vacation home of Mexican pop star Alejandro Fernández.
They coordinated everything and even got Fernández to personally autograph his
CDs, which we gave as turn-down gifts.”
FACT VS. FICTION
There are a lot of key misconceptions surrounding Mexico.
Don’t believe the hype. Here’s the truth.
#1 MExico Is too
Far Away
“That’s fiction,” says Marisa Steta, sales and
marketing director for Best Day Travel, a Cancun-based DMC and travel firm.
Mexico shares the border with the U.S. and its
closeness is one of its biggest selling points, planners agree. “Flight
times to Mexico are
frequent, easy and direct three hours or less from most major U.S. cities,” says Gary Van Hoose, vice president
of sales and marketing for Parks Productions, Ltd. in Michigan, who uses México for client
meetings and incentives.
#2 There
Are Language Barriers
“Language is no barrier. In the major destinations, everyone
you’ll be dealing with will speak English,” says Andrea Young, CMP,
president/event director for California-based Innovative Events. However,
“it’s important to use good judgment,” adds AnnaCeleste
Brenner, incentive and meeting specialist for Ceiba Del Mar Beach & Spa
Resort on the Riviera Maya. “Don’t ask a maid for restaurant
recommendations, just as you wouldn’t ask a waiter to upgrade the
projector.”
For urgent situations, such as last-minute flight changes, planners all
agree you get the fastest results by having a DMC, who can do it in Spanish.
#3
Currency Conversion Is Challenging
“No,” says Brenner. “It’s easy. Delegates can
exchange money at the international airports, at the hotels and resorts and at
the reputable casas de cambios
(money exchangers) that are everywhere in the major resorts and cities.”
With regard to program contracts, negotiations with the hotels and/or
convention facilities are in U.S. dollars, “which gives you great
comfort,” says Kate Christensen, CMP, owner of KCA, Inc., an
Arizona-based meeting and event planner.
#4 You
Can’t Drink the Water
“Every year this worry diminishes as people realize it’s not
a problem in the major tourist areas,” says Brice O’Keefe, director
of marketing for Rosewood Mayakoba resort on the Riviera Maya. “Cancun
and the Riviera Maya have the best public water system in Mexico; all the
major cities and destinations have water-treatment plants. Plus, “all Mexico’s
first-class hotels double-filter their water,” he says. Guests can look
for agua purificada (purified
water) signs near the taps in their hotel rooms. In-room bottled water is
usually provided. If you’re in a rural area, drink bottled water, advises
Marisa Steta, marketing director of Best Day Travel.
#5 Is It
Safe?
“Everyone felt 100 percent safe,” says Michele Simes, director
of events for PRO Group, Inc. in Colorado,
who arranged a 150-person meeting in the Ceiba Del Mar Beach & Spa Resort
on the Riviera Maya. “I never felt unsafe,” agrees Christensen, who
worked the ICANN 2009 International meeting in México City. “We sent out advance
safety tips—but they were the same as for New York City or any large metropolitan area.
We walked between the Mela Mexico Reforma and the Hilton Mexico City Reforma
for meetings and delegates taxied throughout the city. Everyone used common sense
and had a great time.”
Using common sense here means the same as anywhere else: avoid rough
areas at night and don’t go out with people you don’t know well. In Mexico
City and other large metropolitan areas, use taxis
from the hotel and arrange for the same cab company to pick you up. Many hotels
provide shuttle service for shopping, dining or night-clubbing.
Also keep in mind that several major destinations have special
“tourist police” who speak English and are helpful and watchful. In
addition, “the first-class hotels have their own security,” points
out Brenner.
Twenty-four hour medical, dental and pharmaceutical services are
available at most first-class properties. However, it’s wise to have
someone on hand like a DMC who can translate if necessary both the malady and
the doctor’s instructions, as well as quickly arrange whatever is
necessary, be it a hospital visit or air ambulance service. For detailed medical information, Mexico: Health and Safety Travel Guide
(available through medtogo.com) is an up-to-date directory of the best
hospitals and the board-certified, English-speaking physicians throughout
México.
#6
Shipping Is Problematic
When you use an experienced DMC or a full-service Mexico shipping
specialist, meeting materials, gifts, wine, food and new roll-out products ranging
from motorcycles to laptops arrive on time and at your site. “It’s
very important to be familiar with the laws to ensure that planners receive
their goods when and where they need them,” says Sandy Rivera, co-owner
of Global Caribbean, Inc., a Mexico
import-export specialist, with offices in Miami,
Cancún, Mexico City and Los Cabos.
Like all countries, Mexico’s
import laws are detailed, and pitfalls can occur when clients do it themselves.
Rivera’s company saved the day (actually the night) for one U.S. firm that had arranged to import all the
wine for its 500-person gala from the U.S. “It was the day of the
gala…and no wine,” she recalls. “They called us, and we made
it happen. We paid all the liquor taxes, got all the required stamps and
brought in a team of eight people to put the special labels on every bottle as Mexico law
requires.”
#7 The
Meetings Infrastructure Isn’t Modern
On the contrary, “Mexico
has a fabulous infrastructure—it’s absolutely modern and high-tech
in all the major destinations,” observes Young.
Three new centers opened within the last two years: CancunMesse, with
272,000 sf of space; the 105,000 sf Puerto Vallarta
International Convention
Center; and the Mazatlan
International Center,
with 154,000 sf of indoor/outdoor spaces.
Mexico
City alone offers 5 world-class facilities,
including the 441,320-sf Centro Banamex and the 413,333 sf Expo Bancomer Santa
Fe. Across Mexico,
there are more than 40 top-of-the-line convention centers in 25 cities (such as
Poliforum León, with 485,000 sf), as well as 495,000 hotel rooms and 3,100
luxury hotels that are available for meetings.
#8 MExico Has Not
Hosted
Big Events
Mexico is a world capital of major
meetings and product roll-outs. This year, the 2011 7th World Chambers of
Commerce Congress will bring 12,000 chambers of commerce from 100 countries to Mexico City. In Cancun,
the 2011 22nd World Allergy Congress will host several thousand attendees, and
the 2010 MPI Meet Different Cancun Mexico Convention attracted 2,000 delegates,
including 900 meeting planners.
For its part, Acapulco welcomes thousands
of buyers and sellers at Mexico’s
annual Tianguis Turistico travel trade show.
In addition, numerous manufacturers including Sony and Arctic Cat choose
Mexico
as the site for their new product rollouts.
In addition, Mexico
has hosted important world wide events, for example:
2011
Ø 28th
International Drug Enforcement Conference (Cancun, Quintana roo)
Ø 7th World
Chambers Congress (Mexico City)
Ø FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011 (Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey,
Hidalgo, Torreon and Michoaca)
Ø XXIV Pan American Sports Medicine Congreso (Guadalajara, Jalisco)
Ø XVI Pan American Games Guadalajara
2011 (Guadalajara, Jalisco)
2012
Ø 8th World Congress of the International
Academy of Cosmetic Dermatology (Cancun, Quintana Roo)
Ø 6th World Council of Civil Engineers (Mexico
City)
Ø 14th World Congress of Psycho Oncology (Cancun, Quintana Roo)
Ø 40Th International Congress on
Occupational and Environmental Health in the Chemical Industry (Monterrey, Nuevo Leon)
Ø 32th Congress of the International
Society of Blood Transfusion (Cancun, Quintana Roo)
2013
Ø 17th Congress of the International
Society of Development Biologists (Cancun,
Quintana Roo)
Ø 64th Annual Meeting of the International
Society of Electrochemistry (Santiago de
Queretaro, Queretaro)
Ø
15th
Congreso of Latin-American Association of Diabetes (Cancun, Quintana Roo)
Ø 12th Symposium on the Genetics of
Industrial Microorganisms (Cancun,
Quintana Roo)
Ø 24th Meeting of the International Society
for Neurochemistry (Cancun,
Quintana Roo)
2014
Ø 14th World Congress on the Menopause (Cancun, Quintana Roo)
Ø XIII International Congress of Parasitology (Mexico City)
Ø 11th World Congress on Nuclear Medicine
and Biology (Cancun,
Quintana Roo)
Ø 12th World Meeting of the International
Society for Bayesian Analysis
Ø 23th Congress of the International Pig
Veterinary Society (Cancun,
Quintana Roo)
2016
Ø International congress of Ophthalmology (Guadalajara, Jalisco)
Ø Congress of Toxicology (Mérida, Yucatan)
Ø 21th World Congress of Echocardiography
and Allied Techniques (Mexico
City)
2018
Ø Congreso de la Sociedad Internacional
de la Propiedad
Intelectual (Cancun, Quintana Roo)
SIDEBAR
Entry and Custom Requirements
In the event a client thinks it’s difficult to visit Mexico—it’s
not. All you need is a valid passport. Here are the key points to know.
To get into Mexico,
your attendees must have a valid U.S. passport. They also must fill
out a tourist migratory form (FM-T), which is handed out on the plane (or
onboard the ship or at the land point of entry). Once this form is stamped at
the airport (or other point of) immigration station, it’s valid for a
stay of up to 180 days.
Every visitor must keep the migratory form with them as long as they are
in Mexico,
and must turn it in when they leave the country. Business travelers must
complete a different form (Form FM-N) when they enter Mexico, which
authorizes the conduct of business, but not employment, for a 30-day period.
There is an entry fee (usually about $20) and a departure fee
(approximately $20). Both fees are usually included in the price of the airline
ticket.
Visitors entering Mexico
also must fill out one Customs Declaration Form per family. This form is handed
out on the plane, onboard the ship or at the land point of entry.
In addition to personal luggage, visitors arriving by plane have the
right to bring in tax-free up to $300 worth of articles, with the exception of
beer, alcoholic drinks and processed tobacco.
After passing through Immigration, visitors proceed to the custom
authority’s fiscal traffic light. If the light flashes green, they hand
in the customs declaration and exit the airport. If the light flashes red,
their luggage is opened and inspected by a customs officer who compares the
contents with the customs declaration form before the visitor exits the
airport.
Visitors carrying more than $10,000 in cash, cashier’s checks or
any other document to be cashed must declare the monies on both the Customs
Declaration and Declaration of Passenger’s Money in Exit (Declaración de
Dinero Salida de Pasajeros) forms.
