Tag Archives: Virginia

GSA outlines progress cracking down on bonuses, pricey conferences

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Originally posted by Charles S. Clark on GovExec

The test of whether a federal performance bonus is merited is "whether I can explain it at a Senate hearing," acting General Services Administration chief Dan Tangherlini told a Senate panel Wednesday. Bonuses should be given only for "special, exemplary, extremely justifiable acts," he added, and "the quality of our work should not be dependent on a bonus award but on commitment" to mission.

Tangherlini appeared with GSA Inspector General Brian Miller before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to respond to senators' reviews of lengthy committee questionnaires the agency had completed as part of the ongoing fallout from the April 2012 scandal over lavish spending on entertainment at a GSA training conference in Las Vegas.

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Cvent Reveals the Top 50 U.S. Meetings Destinations for 2012

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Originally posted by Terri Hardin on Cvent

Cvent, the leader in cloud-based event management solutions, today announced the top 50 cities for meetings and events in the United States, according to meeting and event booking activity in the Cvent Supplier Network. Cvent operates the number one marketplace for group meetings business in the world, expecting to source $7 billion of meetings business in 2012.

"Meetings and conventions are important revenue generators for cities, supporting not only the meeting venues and hotels, but also local restaurants, entertainment and numerous other businesses within the city," said Bharet Malhotra, Vice President of Sales for the Cvent Supplier Network. "Cvent's role in the meetings ecosystem is to connect venues and planners to facilitate efficient and informed meeting booking. As the single largest marketplace for meetings activity, we have an excellent feel for which cities and properties are popular and growing, and the data to back it up."

GSA blasted for another over-the-top 2010 conference

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Originally posted by Government Executive

The General Services Administration staged a one-day awards conference at two hotels in Arlington, Va., in November 2010 at which some 200 guests were treated to gifts such as time-and-temperature picture frames and drumsticks, according to GSA inspector general figures House Republicans on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released Thursday.  The estimated total cost of the conference was $268,732.

"It's another sad day for taxpayers, another for an out-of-control agency," Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chairman of the panel, said at a hastily called press conference to announce a congressional investigation into the matter. "This makes everyone's blood boil among members of Congress and the public."
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