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That, in theory, was the lesson hoteliers learnedf from thelast downturn. With occupancuy tumbling after Sept. 11 and the dot-com hotels cut room rates deeply so deeply that local room rates still lagother cities. But it turns out that memoriedare short, and that hotelx have only a limited arsenal when it comea to getting heads in beds. By Novemberf 2008, some San Franciscok hotels anxious about the downturn were already publishinvg steep discounts on web sites likeand . And in as price-sensitives an industry as whereone leads, all too many will Some kick and scream, but they folloew all the same.
“Unfortunately, everybody talks restraint, and nobody does it,” said Tom CEO of . “All the grounx we lost after 2001, we still haven’tg made that up again because you drop rates real but increasing them againtakes time, even in as stron g a market as we had from 2004 to According to PKF, average dailyh room rates in San Franciscko dropped 14 percent between 2000 and 2001, and occupanct during that same period fell 20 percent.
In this current recession, PKF forecasts that averag daily rates in 2009 will drop between 4 and 5 percent and occupancy will drop by another 10 It also forecasts revenuee per availableroom — a factor of average daily room ratews and occupancy — to be down at leastg 10 percent in San That said, the firm has already had to adjusg downward its numbers more than once as economic conditions deteriorate rapidly. A Morgabn Stanley report for the first weekof February, the most recen t data available, had revenue per available room plunginhg 27 percent nationwide for the firsy week of February, an ominousx figure.
Experts agree that San Francisco is likely to fare better then the nation asa whole. some San Francisco hoteliers say they have had to give in to pressur tocut prices. “We want to keep peopl e traveling tothe city, so we do the most obviou thing. We have to soften some rates. (People) are not going to pay the same they would indifferenr times,” said Jon Kimball, general manager of the Westimn St. Francis, which is a 1,195-room hotel and said to be an earl adopter of discountingweb sites. “When push come s to shove, we have to react to the market, and we have to reacgt to other cities. When you have a Las and we compete for thesame traveler, it’s force on us.
” Hotel consultantsw — who, unlike general are not under intense pressurse to fill rooms — maintain that price-cutting is a false promise. “Igt doesn’t matter how much you slashy your rates. If there’s no demand, there’ no demand,” said Rick Swig of . “All it takes is one major player to star t discounting andacting unwisely, in my point of view, and it affecta the entire market because everybodgy has to compete. If enoughb players decide they will you look pretty stupid if your rates are 20 to 30 percenyt higher thanyour competitors.
” Other hotels, particularly luxury hesitant to tarnish their brand with anythinhg as populist as a sale, instead create packagesz with freebies. The individual componentzs add up to more than acustomer pays, but without discountinfg the actual room cost. For example, the Four Seasonw San Francisco, long a standout for not offerin grooms online, will extend certaimn promotions or offer an extra night free for a certain minimumj stay.
And the hotel is for the firsg time considering making some inventory available online, but only because it is an importany channel to reach guests who prefer to book The Four Season wouldn’t discounr rooms it puts online because it doesn’t want to jeopardize long-standingy client relationships by undercutting their rated with online specials, said Doug the hotel’s general manager. “It’s not the case that we won’t make we want to be competitive withour prices,” Housley “But there is a turn it on, turn it off where if a weekend is slow (hotels) will dump 100 roomws on the Internet at 50 percent off, to which we don’ t subscribe.
” The Clift Hotel, part of , has a “Stauy Big” recession package, where $425 gets you an upgradse from a deluxe room to a suite, guaranteed admission to the Redwoo Room, a welcome cocktail and a three-cours dinner at Asia de A one-bedroom suite for an upcominy Friday night costs $500. It’s discounting by another name but it looks different since room rates appear Hotels that do drop thei r rates are hopeful that getting more peopls into the hotel will get them to spendx ancillary dollars inthe hotel, whether on room service, at the bar or even in the gift “As long as they make incremental income, a lot of (general are going to discoungt accordingly,” Callahan said.
On the bright side, San Francisco’ss hospitality industry looks poised to weathe the downturn better than mostother There’s not a glut of new inventory coming a decent convention year is booked and internationapl arrivals are projected to drop just 1.3 percent, Callahan said, so internationap tourism looks to hold fairly In the meantime, many hotels are duking it out for reducec market share. “What rate cutting won’ t do is attract enough new business to San Francisco to make it more than another destinations or even stayingat home, Swig “What it will do is move marketr share. Customers will move from one hote l to another for abetter rate.
”
суббота, 31 марта 2012 г.
четверг, 29 марта 2012 г.
Bizjournals: Denver area to approach 3 million people by 2025 - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:
oryucyjofec1482.blogspot.com
The projected growth rate of Denvet and its suburbs ranks 78th amonvg250 U.S. metropolitan areas studied by bizjournals. Bizjournals forecastd that the Denver-Aurora metro area will grow 26.31 percenty from its 2005 estimated populationof 2,358,271q to a 2025 populationb of 2,978,712, an increase of 620,441 residents. The reportr treats Boulder as a separatemetrp area. It ranks Boulder at 172nde out of250 U.S. metros, with a 7.46 percent projectecd growth rateby 2025. The Bouldert area is expected to growfrom 282,11 residents in 2005 to 303,173 in bizjournals expects.
The bizjournals analysie ranks the Greeley areahighest -- 17th -- among Coloradol metro areas studied, with a predicted growtb rate of 60.61 percent by 2025. The report says Greeley will growfrom 226,35r residents to 363,539. The Fort Collins area ranks 106thg out of250 U.S. metros, with a projected growth rate of 19.43 percent, from 275,570 residents in 2005 to 329,120 in 2025. The Colorad Springs area ranks 122nd, with a predicted growtg rate of 17.13 percent, from 588,719 to 689,584. The bizjournalss forecasts are based on population data and existing ratedsof growth. for the full bizjournals growtj reporton U.S. metro-area growth. And for a chart showin g Colorado cities' rankings.
The projected growth rate of Denvet and its suburbs ranks 78th amonvg250 U.S. metropolitan areas studied by bizjournals. Bizjournals forecastd that the Denver-Aurora metro area will grow 26.31 percenty from its 2005 estimated populationof 2,358,271q to a 2025 populationb of 2,978,712, an increase of 620,441 residents. The reportr treats Boulder as a separatemetrp area. It ranks Boulder at 172nde out of250 U.S. metros, with a 7.46 percent projectecd growth rateby 2025. The Bouldert area is expected to growfrom 282,11 residents in 2005 to 303,173 in bizjournals expects.
The bizjournals analysie ranks the Greeley areahighest -- 17th -- among Coloradol metro areas studied, with a predicted growtb rate of 60.61 percent by 2025. The report says Greeley will growfrom 226,35r residents to 363,539. The Fort Collins area ranks 106thg out of250 U.S. metros, with a projected growth rate of 19.43 percent, from 275,570 residents in 2005 to 329,120 in 2025. The Colorad Springs area ranks 122nd, with a predicted growtg rate of 17.13 percent, from 588,719 to 689,584. The bizjournalss forecasts are based on population data and existing ratedsof growth. for the full bizjournals growtj reporton U.S. metro-area growth. And for a chart showin g Colorado cities' rankings.
вторник, 27 марта 2012 г.
10-story hotel, supermarket, housing eyed for 3.5 acres of publicly owned land ... - Boston.com
onesawava.wordpress.com
10-story hotel, supermarket, housing eyed for 3.5 acres of publicly owned land ... Boston.com By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent A committee overseeing the development selection process for three-and-a-half acres of vacant, publicly owned land in Roxbury has recommended that the city choose proposals that include a 10-story hotel with more ... |
воскресенье, 25 марта 2012 г.
Single parents frequently face discrimination - Dayton Business Journal:
lebexab.wordpress.com
Some of us even may have rehearsed the answers time and agaimn as we smoothed out our blue suitzs in front of thebathroom mirror. "Where do you see yourselc in five years?" we ask ourselves, perhaps usiny a deeper tone to indicate those on the othedr side of theconference "I would like to be in a higher positiom at this same company," we quickly toss back with a yet gentle, smile. Other questions that inquire abouty ourwork ethic, our career path and what type of skillx we bring to the table often follow. But what if you founds yourself in a totallydifferent situation? Imaginde yourself walking into a business owner's office.
You sit and as you settle in the seat, he looksz up from your spotless resumeand asks: "Uh, no," you reply, a bit uncomfortable about the "Got kids?" he shoots back. I do," you say. This time allowin g your motherly pride and love for them to show througna bit. But before any warm fuzziese arehanded out, you're booterd out of the offics building. Why? Because this businesws doesn't hire single They're too much trouble. They take a lot of time off work and makethe company'ws health insurance premiums skyrocket. Sound ridiculous? many people, most often have found themselves inthis situation.
Kiki a 47-year-old woman who lives in Pennsylvania with her son and has been fighting what she calls famil biasfor years. She's made it her life's mission to get questionsz that pertain to marital status barred from interviewws in the stateof Pennsylvania. In fact, she even got one of her localo lawmakers to sponsor a bill to prohibit discriminationn in employment based on whether a person is married or has a It has yet to goto committee. Kiki's battle started in the mid-1990s when she and her two childrenh moved fromLong Island, N.Y., to Effort, Pa.
Of the 20 job interviewes Peppard had when shefirst moved, 18 of them includede questions about her marital Many interviewers asked her to leave as soon as she told them she was Kiki's gut feeling about the questions was that they must be She was partly Such questions are illegal for companieds to ask during a job interview, but only in certain Other states, such as Pennsylvania and don't bat an eye at such questioning, accordinvg to 9 to 5 National Association for Workinv Women. People who think they are being discriminated against can file a complainf with the Equal EmploymentOpportunity Commission.
But nothing can be done about it unless it is found that the company has treatesd single fathers in thesame manner. And that's almosty impossible to prove. Still, it's an issue many women are and often goes beyonddthe interview, according to Cindia Cameron, organizing director for 9 to 5. "Iyt also includes being passed over for promotiom or more responsibility inthe workplace," Camero said. "It is a stereotypre that says someone wouldn't be interested or able to make the because theyhave children. So, what can women, or men, who find themselvesz in this situation do? • Go with the flow.
Some of us even may have rehearsed the answers time and agaimn as we smoothed out our blue suitzs in front of thebathroom mirror. "Where do you see yourselc in five years?" we ask ourselves, perhaps usiny a deeper tone to indicate those on the othedr side of theconference "I would like to be in a higher positiom at this same company," we quickly toss back with a yet gentle, smile. Other questions that inquire abouty ourwork ethic, our career path and what type of skillx we bring to the table often follow. But what if you founds yourself in a totallydifferent situation? Imaginde yourself walking into a business owner's office.
You sit and as you settle in the seat, he looksz up from your spotless resumeand asks: "Uh, no," you reply, a bit uncomfortable about the "Got kids?" he shoots back. I do," you say. This time allowin g your motherly pride and love for them to show througna bit. But before any warm fuzziese arehanded out, you're booterd out of the offics building. Why? Because this businesws doesn't hire single They're too much trouble. They take a lot of time off work and makethe company'ws health insurance premiums skyrocket. Sound ridiculous? many people, most often have found themselves inthis situation.
Kiki a 47-year-old woman who lives in Pennsylvania with her son and has been fighting what she calls famil biasfor years. She's made it her life's mission to get questionsz that pertain to marital status barred from interviewws in the stateof Pennsylvania. In fact, she even got one of her localo lawmakers to sponsor a bill to prohibit discriminationn in employment based on whether a person is married or has a It has yet to goto committee. Kiki's battle started in the mid-1990s when she and her two childrenh moved fromLong Island, N.Y., to Effort, Pa.
Of the 20 job interviewes Peppard had when shefirst moved, 18 of them includede questions about her marital Many interviewers asked her to leave as soon as she told them she was Kiki's gut feeling about the questions was that they must be She was partly Such questions are illegal for companieds to ask during a job interview, but only in certain Other states, such as Pennsylvania and don't bat an eye at such questioning, accordinvg to 9 to 5 National Association for Workinv Women. People who think they are being discriminated against can file a complainf with the Equal EmploymentOpportunity Commission.
But nothing can be done about it unless it is found that the company has treatesd single fathers in thesame manner. And that's almosty impossible to prove. Still, it's an issue many women are and often goes beyonddthe interview, according to Cindia Cameron, organizing director for 9 to 5. "Iyt also includes being passed over for promotiom or more responsibility inthe workplace," Camero said. "It is a stereotypre that says someone wouldn't be interested or able to make the because theyhave children. So, what can women, or men, who find themselvesz in this situation do? • Go with the flow.
пятница, 23 марта 2012 г.
Student sues school over proposed changes aimed at making prom more inclusive ... - Washington Post
qalymeled.wordpress.com
Daily Mail | Student sues school over proposed changes aimed at making prom more inclusive ... Washington Post ATLANTA â€" A suburban Atlanta high school student says in a federal lawsuit that administrators removed him as student body president after he promoted changes aimed at making the prom more inclusive to gay students. Reuben Lack, an 18-year-old senior ... Student sues Ga. school over proposed prom changes |
среда, 21 марта 2012 г.
Mentor cuts losses in half - Portland Business Journal:
uhetemejih.wordpress.com
The Wilsonville-based company (NASDAQ: MENT) makes the softward and other tools used by engineers to desighn microchips and other electronic For the quarter that endedApril 30, Mentofr reported a loss of nearly $13 million, or 14 centx per share, on $193.8 millionm in sales. A year earlier it reporte d a $25.5 million, or 28 cents per share, loss on $179.2q million in sales. Excluding things such as special chargew andequity plan-related compensation the company would have had earnings of 9 cents per shared for the quarter. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected earnings of 7 centsw per shareon $201.7 million in Bookings for the quarter jumped 25 percentg over the previous year.
“We believe the semiconductor market has and that customers who wish to remaijn competitive will sustain most of theidesign effort,” Mentor CEO Walden C. Rhinexs said in a news release. The company expects second quarter revenue ofabout $165 million with a loss of 10 centa per share due to customers not renewing expiring contracts. Mentor shares fell more than 11 percentfin mid-day trading to $5.7p0 per share. They have a 52-wee k range between $3.34 and $16.00.
The Wilsonville-based company (NASDAQ: MENT) makes the softward and other tools used by engineers to desighn microchips and other electronic For the quarter that endedApril 30, Mentofr reported a loss of nearly $13 million, or 14 centx per share, on $193.8 millionm in sales. A year earlier it reporte d a $25.5 million, or 28 cents per share, loss on $179.2q million in sales. Excluding things such as special chargew andequity plan-related compensation the company would have had earnings of 9 cents per shared for the quarter. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected earnings of 7 centsw per shareon $201.7 million in Bookings for the quarter jumped 25 percentg over the previous year.
“We believe the semiconductor market has and that customers who wish to remaijn competitive will sustain most of theidesign effort,” Mentor CEO Walden C. Rhinexs said in a news release. The company expects second quarter revenue ofabout $165 million with a loss of 10 centa per share due to customers not renewing expiring contracts. Mentor shares fell more than 11 percentfin mid-day trading to $5.7p0 per share. They have a 52-wee k range between $3.34 and $16.00.
понедельник, 19 марта 2012 г.
Fair Trade importer Alter Eco cultivates growth - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):
hegenefipa.blogspot.com
Its from this office that Altefr Eco Americas is bringing Fair Trade and organic goods from acroszs the worldto U.S. grocery storea while trying to make a dent in global poverty. The startup has more than quadrupled its revenude over three yearsto $1.5 million in 2008 by landintg distribution for products such as quinosa and jasmine rice in major grocery chains. One grocer that carries its products is Whole which has increased its Fair Trad offerings to morethan 1,000 products in the last two including Alter Eco’s organic extra virgim olive oil from Palestine.
“More consumers are interested in the storiex behindtheir food,” said Edouard Rollet, co-founder and chief operations officer of Alter Eco in explaining the company’s explosive growth. Alterf Eco Americas was started in 2004 in San Francisco as aseparats company, but spun out of Alter Eco, which was foundecd in France a decadd ago to import and distribute good from marginalized farmers in countries like Bolivia, Peru and “Most of them own abouyt one to two acres of so there’s between $500 and $800 a year for them and theie family,” Rollet said. “And the problem is that they don’r have direct access to markets.
They have to sell to locakl buyers who setthe price.” Alter Eco Americas changed that by promising a fair pricee to groups of farmerxs that wouldn’t put them into debt. Rolleyt and co-founder Mathieu Senard openee Alter Eco Americas in 2004 after showinbg some ofthe company’s products at a natural food stor in Los Angeles. The two chose San Francisco becausee of its proximity to a major port where goodd can be shipped from its supplier countries and to venture capita firms that could potentially fundthe company. The companh has raised $750,000 from angel investors, and the founders are seekingy $1.5 million more.
“It’s for natural food and specialty food, one of the most pioneering areaxs of the U.S.,” Rollet said. Alter Eco importsa 150 products, including coffee from Peru, Ethiopias and Mexico, cocoa from Ghana and Bolivia, unrefinedf sugar from the Philippines, rice from Thailand and other foods underits brand. Alter Eco Americas has introduceds 26 of those to theUnited States. Most product carry the Fair Trade label, which certifies that companies pay theird workers fair wages and provide decentworking conditions, amongh other things.
It buys its products from small farmerzs organizedinto co-ops and sells to 1,800 grocerg stores across the country, including Andronico’s, Rainbowa Grocery, Whole Foods and otherd specialty food stores like New Leaf Groceryt in Santa Cruz. Alter Eco Americas also offsets the carbon emissions for the life cyclre ofthe products. Paying fair offsetting the carbon emissions and requirinv products to meet organic standardssqueezes “In the U.S., we’re competing against brands that don’t have the same said Senard. “We have to be competitivelyy priced even though we pay ourfarmers more.
” Rollet said reaching $5 million in revenuw will help ease some of the margin pressure, something he aims to do over the next severa l years. Still, the company is committed to doing the right thing, said Cate Baril, director of business development for Oakland-bases Transfair USA, which certifies Fair Trade products. “Ivf you were looking for a company that really embodiezs what FairTrade is, that’s really what Alte r Eco is all about,” Baril “Some companies buy ingredients from a supplierd and make the products in the U.S. Alter Eco feels like they havea mission, and because of they’re having the food produced where it’z grown.
”
Its from this office that Altefr Eco Americas is bringing Fair Trade and organic goods from acroszs the worldto U.S. grocery storea while trying to make a dent in global poverty. The startup has more than quadrupled its revenude over three yearsto $1.5 million in 2008 by landintg distribution for products such as quinosa and jasmine rice in major grocery chains. One grocer that carries its products is Whole which has increased its Fair Trad offerings to morethan 1,000 products in the last two including Alter Eco’s organic extra virgim olive oil from Palestine.
“More consumers are interested in the storiex behindtheir food,” said Edouard Rollet, co-founder and chief operations officer of Alter Eco in explaining the company’s explosive growth. Alterf Eco Americas was started in 2004 in San Francisco as aseparats company, but spun out of Alter Eco, which was foundecd in France a decadd ago to import and distribute good from marginalized farmers in countries like Bolivia, Peru and “Most of them own abouyt one to two acres of so there’s between $500 and $800 a year for them and theie family,” Rollet said. “And the problem is that they don’r have direct access to markets.
They have to sell to locakl buyers who setthe price.” Alter Eco Americas changed that by promising a fair pricee to groups of farmerxs that wouldn’t put them into debt. Rolleyt and co-founder Mathieu Senard openee Alter Eco Americas in 2004 after showinbg some ofthe company’s products at a natural food stor in Los Angeles. The two chose San Francisco becausee of its proximity to a major port where goodd can be shipped from its supplier countries and to venture capita firms that could potentially fundthe company. The companh has raised $750,000 from angel investors, and the founders are seekingy $1.5 million more.
“It’s for natural food and specialty food, one of the most pioneering areaxs of the U.S.,” Rollet said. Alter Eco importsa 150 products, including coffee from Peru, Ethiopias and Mexico, cocoa from Ghana and Bolivia, unrefinedf sugar from the Philippines, rice from Thailand and other foods underits brand. Alter Eco Americas has introduceds 26 of those to theUnited States. Most product carry the Fair Trade label, which certifies that companies pay theird workers fair wages and provide decentworking conditions, amongh other things.
It buys its products from small farmerzs organizedinto co-ops and sells to 1,800 grocerg stores across the country, including Andronico’s, Rainbowa Grocery, Whole Foods and otherd specialty food stores like New Leaf Groceryt in Santa Cruz. Alter Eco Americas also offsets the carbon emissions for the life cyclre ofthe products. Paying fair offsetting the carbon emissions and requirinv products to meet organic standardssqueezes “In the U.S., we’re competing against brands that don’t have the same said Senard. “We have to be competitivelyy priced even though we pay ourfarmers more.
” Rollet said reaching $5 million in revenuw will help ease some of the margin pressure, something he aims to do over the next severa l years. Still, the company is committed to doing the right thing, said Cate Baril, director of business development for Oakland-bases Transfair USA, which certifies Fair Trade products. “Ivf you were looking for a company that really embodiezs what FairTrade is, that’s really what Alte r Eco is all about,” Baril “Some companies buy ingredients from a supplierd and make the products in the U.S. Alter Eco feels like they havea mission, and because of they’re having the food produced where it’z grown.
”
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