Think your company can't afford a getaway? Think again!

By Betty Stark

They first rolled into my e-mail box and clogged my BlackBerry at the end of 2008. Smaller offers at first, most of them lost in last-minute holiday sales, then increasingly bold and attention-getting.

One week it was run-of-the-mill offerings: reduced rates on weekday hotel rooms in urban centers here and there; a smattering of cheap rental cars at out-of-the-way destinations. And then the flood gates opened. The deals came in from all corners of the world, announcing big breaks for corporate meeting planners and the lone business traveler alike.

You say you're back-burnering your business travel agenda, and off-site meetings are out of the question? Peruse these offers anyway; the savings opportunities might make that meeting, business trip or company sales incentive an affordable reality. Because the landscape is littered with special deals and contract terms can be tricky, I suggest you seek out a full-service travel agency skilled in meeting planning and business travel.

Brisas Hotels and Resorts (www.brisas.com.mx) with properties in Acapulco, Huatulco, Ixtapa, Manzanillo, Mexico City, Queretaro and Veracruz, Mexico announced it would hold group rates until 2011 for corporate decision makers ready to commit to a series of three annual meetings at any of their several properties beginning in 2009. "No hassles," they promised—"sign one contract and we'll hold the rate for three years."

That was followed by a "We Want YOU!" message from Visit Mexico (www.visitmexico.com), the marketing entity that encourages corporate chiefs to take their meetings south of the border. They were writing to say that meetings held on their turf by a foreign (i.e. non-Mexican) business would enjoy a 0 percent Value-Added Tax (VAT), the tax that typically whacks a big hole in a meeting budget when applied to lodging and many other meeting functions.

Plan a meeting in Mexico and airport transfers, setup and registration, master of ceremonies and translators, AV equipment rental, decorations, security and cleaning and on-site food and beverage functions—all will be tax free, subject to certain conditions.

You'll need to provide proof that your attendees are "foreigners" (a copy of a passport page generally suffices) and that the meeting is, indeed, a legitimate meeting, seminar or convention hosted by a foreign corporation. As an added bonus, qualifying functions are also said to be fully deductible for U.S. federal income tax purposes, though you should always seek qualified tax advice before contracting for a meeting at a non-U.S. destination.

Tax deductibility is a big plus for meeting planners looking to save money, especially in this economic environment. Luckily, several Caribbean nations fall under the terms of the Caribbean Basin Convention Tourism Tax Initiative (CBI), which allows the deduction of meeting expenses in certain island destinations.

Qualifying islands include Aruba, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Netherland Antilles, and Trinidad & Tobago. As U.S. territories, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands also fall under the banner of tax-deductible meeting destinations.

Cruise lines are feeling the pinch, too, as meeting planners appear reluctant to commit to costly itineraries. According to Sue Johnson, Cruise Marketing Specialist at Burkhalter Travel in Madison, this is an especially good time to plan an onboard meeting.

"In every economy," said Johnson, "the smart money goes somewhere. Truth is, there has never been a better time to pay less for a cruise. Fares are at an unprecedented low, the fuel supplement imposed earlier has been suspended, and some cruise lines have reduced deposit requirements by as much as 50 percent so you'll get to keep your money longer!"

Alaska cruises are very attractive, according to Johnson, especially this year. A seven-day Glacier Bay 2009 cruise from Vancouver to Seward (or reverse) on a top-of-the-line Holland America ship can run as low as $499 per person for an inside cabin, (air, port taxes and fees are extra).

Book an inside cabin on a 10-day Royal Caribbean Mediterranean cruise for only $999 a person (plus air, port taxes and fees). And keep in mind that transportation, food and onboard entertainment are all part of the deal when you cruise — no need to plan meals or concern yourself with leisure time activities for your attendees. As for meeting space, onboard facilities, especially on newer purpose-built ships, can be quite impressive, with state-of-the-art theaters, board rooms and electronic equipment generally included in the price.

The hotel industry is scrambling to get your attention too. New properties have been surging out of the pipe line for months, and the seemingly endless escalation of room rates has slowed and in some markets reversed, as managers rush to overcome reduced occupancy levels.

Las Vegas (www.visitlasvegas.com), that venerable favorite for massive conventions, is definitely a buyer's market. For example, with more than 4,000 rooms to fill, the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino recently advertised a suite rate of $139 per person. In a word, they are dealing!

For the individual business traveler, new-on-the-scene properties are offering the best deals in an effort to make their mark in the littered landscape. Fledgling brands like Hotel Indigo (www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/in/1/en/home), Cambria Suites (www.cambriasuites.com), Aloft (www.AloftHotels.com) and Hyatt Place (www.hyatt.com/hyatt/place) are eager to welcome business travelers to their hip new environments.

Who doesn't want to meet in Hawaii, the land of swaying palm trees, sugar-white beaches and plenty of aloha spirit? Drastically reduced airline flights to the islands has the Convention and Visitor Bureaus (CVB) of those islands shouting "Book 'em!" as they invite groups to "come anyway" and take advantage of unusually attractive rates during the state's 50th anniversary of statehood celebration. Check out GoHawaii (www.gohawaii.com) and CVB Hot Rates (www.cvbhotrates.com) for the latest offers.

The deals roll on. In Phoenix, newly renovated Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort (www.pointehilton.com/indextc.cfm) encourages you to book a meeting room, food & beverage, audio/visual equipment and up to 25 guest rooms immediately for your next group event without submitting an RFP, or receive a credit back on 50 or more suite nights.

At the Vail, Colorado, Vail Cascade Resort and Spa, check out "Hot Dates and Hot Rates" (www.vailcascade.com/vail-co-events.php) for month-by-month offers for meeting groups. Across the Big Pond, Rail Europe (www.raileurope.com), with routes across the continent, is dropping prices by up to six percent for some groups.

Hotels, cruise lines, airlines, rental car and destination management companies — they all want to be your new best friend. Do your homework and chances are you'll find that gem-of-a-deal that can point your own 2009 profits on an upward trend.n

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