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Michael J. Dimond, 67, passed away June 23, 2008 after suffering a heart attack. Widely recognized as one of the top hotel marketing executives in the nation, Dimond’s career spanned over four decades. In addition to The Broadmoor, he served in top management and marketing positions with Hyatt Regency Hotels; the Opryland Hotel in Nashville; Doral in Miami; the Boca Raton Hotel & Club in Boca Raton, FL; and Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.  Mike also served as senior vice president of marketing for Gaylord Entertainment Company. One of the many milestones of his illustrious career included the branding and positioning of Opryland Hotel & Convention Center in  Nashville on the map as a convention destination.

Dimond retired from The Broadmoor as the senior vice president of sales and marketing in 2006, but believed in giving back to the industry he loved and was active in numerous professional organizations. He served on the boards of both the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and Meeting Planners International (MPI); his many industry honors include the Academy of Leaders award from ASAE and “Supplier of the Year” from MPI, where he also served on the executive committee. Mike was named “Sales Executive of the Year” for Insurance Conference Planners and was a member of Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s (HSMAI) Hall of Fame. In 2002, he was inducted into the Convention Industry Council’s (CIC) prestigious Hall of Leaders. In 2004, HSMAI honored Mike as one of “The 25 Most Extraordinary Sales & Marketing Minds in Hospitality & Travel” for 2003. The memorial service was held on yesterday at St. Paul Catholic Church, Colorado Springs. In lieu of flowers, donations were made to the HSMAI Scholarship Fund.

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George Carlin, the legendary comedian who passed away last night at the age of 71 became famous for a routine called, "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television." But making lists of dirty words wasn't all this legendary comedian did. Most of his humor and insights were actually clean. And some of them offer sage advice for planning meetings. Here's a few:

On Time Lines: "Always do whatever's next." And, "There's no present. There's only the immediate future and the recent past.

On Banquet Seating: "At a formal dinner party, the person nearest death should always be seated closest to the bathroom."

On Motor Coach Transfers: "Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?"

On Dealing with On Site Disasters: "I'm not concerned about all hell breaking loose, but that a PART of hell will break loose... it'll be much harder to detect."

On Unrealiable Suppliers: "Most people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit."

On Speakers: "Standing ovations have become far too commonplace. What we need are ovations where the audience members all punch and kick one another."

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I have been in Orange County since Wednesday, where I was invited to experience the OCeanfront, a collection of 12 upscale to luxury properties that dot the Pacific coastline from Huntington Beach to Dana Point. So of course, I’ve been experiencing stellar cuisine, top-of-the-line spas, and luxe accommodations—all in gorgeous surroundings. But what I didn’t expect was to engage in teambuilding activity like chocolate appreciation, arts and crafts, and sandcastle building.

At the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, our group sat down at ENO, the property’s wine, cheese, and chocolate tasting restaurants, where we strung beads for wine charms and pasted glass pieces together to make our own wine stoppers. Afterwards, we sampled California artisanal chocolate while a wine sommelier taught us about proper chocolate pairings (the cheesemonger was out). The restaurant frequently presents special programs, where lecturing California vintners bring three or four samples of their craft.

At Huntington Beach, we met up with Dig It, a husband and wife team of sandcastle builders, who shared their castle-building expertise, gave us tools and guidance on how to turn out a fairly decent ephemeral structure. As a team building exercise, it show who were the take-charge leaders of the group (not me) and who were the teamplayers (guilty).

As I write this, I am preparing to rejoin the group for a Dynamic Poolside Stretch at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa. I have been told that this activity is very popular with groups with attendees who want to start the day invigorated. (We shall see if I am one of those.)

After that, we are embarking on another activity in which I know I will be leading the way—shopping at South Coast Plaza.

Off to the Dynamic Poolside Stretch. Of course, if it is possible to have too much fun, I may be pretty close to it.