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Leslie and I are off on a Caribbean adventure and you're invited!

Each year the Georgia chapter of Meeting Professionals International (GaMPI) holds an educational conference at a premier resort. In 2010, the brand new, all-inclusive Secrets St. James in Montego Bay, Jamaica will host the event. Attendees have access to a special (make that amazing) rate and don't have to be meeting professionals themselves to take part.

The conference runs from Thursday, August 26, through Sunday, August 29. Secrets has extended the special resort rate to be available up to three days before the event and three days following. With that in mind, Leslie and I are planning to be in Jamaica from Wednesday, August 25, to Wednesday, September 1. Everyone is welcome to make their own individual plans and stay as long as they like.

Your ticket to the resort rate is to register for the conference. The registration fee is $99 if paid before the end of July.

The room rate to which we have access is a king or two-queen suite at $165 per night for singles and $199 per night for doubles, including taxes. Some rooms at the resort can accomodate three people and at our rate would cost $281 per night. I'm not certain, however, whether or not these rooms are available during the conference.

As the resort is all-inclusive, unlimited food and drinks are covered by the room rate. Gratuities are also covered, further lowering out-of-pocket expenses.

I've been watching plane ticket prices from Atlanta to Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay and we should be able to find airfares around $350 round trip, including taxes. Spirit Airlines appear to be the price leader, while Delta and AirTran offer nonstop flights. For reference sake, Clark Howard's Atlanta Travel Deals page recently listed the Delta nonstop at $377 inclusive as an excellent buy.

Crimeny, just about everything:

• Full breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks each day, served at eight different restaurants, ten bars and lounges, poolside and beachside
• Room service, available anytime
• Drinks galore: fruit juices, soft drinks, beer & spirits
• Tons of activities: aerobics, basketball, billiards, bocce, board games, catamarans, darts, a jogging trail, table tennis, sailing, soccer, snorkeling, tennis, volleyball, windsurfing and yoga
• Theme parties and live entertainment
• Discounted rates on the spa, golf, and tours
• Transportation between the resort and airport
• All tips and gratuities

First, you need to register for the conference on GaMPI's website. Most of the questions are straightforward, but a few of them can be confusing for those of us not in the meeting planning industry:

• Company name can be your employer, if you like. As Leslie says, it can be a good conversation and networking starter
• Industry category should be “Planner.” We all occasionally organize events at work, and at any rate we certainly aren't suppliers
• Association should be “MPI Georgia Chapter” so that Leslie's group correctly receives credit for our stay
• You heard about the conference through a GaMPI board member: namely, Leslie
• Don't forget your itinerary information is here on this webpage for you to use in your registration

Once you've registered for the conference, you'll receive a group code to enter on the Secrets reservation site. This should give you access to the special room rates for the conference.

I made a note on Leslie's and my reservation to place Mischelle and Matt's rooms near ours, if possible. You may wish to do the same when you make your own reservation.

Dave and Matt are booked on AirTran 728 (8/25, dep ATL 12:35, arr MBJ 2:10) and AirTran 729 (9/1, dep MBJ 12:00, arr ATL 4:06). Inclusive price: $327.17 + 30.00 baggage fees.

Leslie and Mischelle are booked on Delta 359 (8/25, dep ATL 9:50, arr MBJ 11:49) and Delta 360 (9/1, dep MBJ 12:52, arr ATL 4:55). They used SkyMiles for their tickets.

• Preliminary announcement from GaMPI
• Secrets St. James at TripAdvisor
• Flexible date airfare search at Orbitz