PROPOSAL TO HOST THE

40th ANNUAL MEETING OF THE

EASTERN ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

2003

Submitted by:

Jeff Mello (Towson U.) and Regina Bento (U. of Baltimore)

May 1st, 2002

Proposal

We are pleased to present this proposal to the EAM Board, in response to its interest in having Baltimore, Maryland as the site for the 2003 Eastern Academy of Management Meeting. Here we provide information about the proposed location and venues, as well as prospects for support. A budget will be presented in a follow-up document.

Location

Site

Baltimore, also known as Charm City, is an excellent site for EAM. It has something for everyone, from history and culture to the Orioles and the Ravens playing right next door to the proposed hotel, in two of the most modern stadiums in the world.

Baltimore's cuisine ranges from Chesapeake Bay fresh seafood and fabulous crabs to the delights of Little Italy and gourmet restaurants serving food from around the world. Even the hot dogs are special: the concession firm that makes hot dogs in the PSINet Ravens Stadium was rated best in the country!

For more information about Baltimore, please visit http://www.baltimore.org/index2.htm

Here's a short excerpt from that website:

"Baltimore, a bustling city built on old tradition and civic pride, is an American success story. Since the redevelopment of the Inner Harbor in the late 1970s, Baltimore has set the standard for urban renewal and is now a major travel destination welcoming nearly 13 million business and leisure visitors each year.

The crown jewel of Baltimore is the Inner Harbor, a scenic and popular waterfront area with dozens of retail stores, restaurants and attractions. This, combined with Baltimore's easy accessibility, makes the city unique. What most people don't realize is that most sites and neighborhoods are within walking distance of each other, and this makes Charm City an ideal place for business as well as pleasure.

The fun and festive atmosphere of the harbor is enhanced by street entertainers, open-air concerts, fireworks, parades, paddle boats, cruise boats and an outdoor ice skating rink. But there's more to Baltimore than seen at first glance. Charming historic neighborhoods surround the Inner Harbor, each offering their own character, history and cuisine. Little Italy is a pasta lover's paradise with outdoor movies on summer weekends, festivals of San Gabriel and St. Anthony, and two bocce ball courts. Fells Point is the oldest section of Baltimore and still has the feel of an old English neighborhood with cobblestone streets, unique shops and plentiful pubs and restaurants. And, there's Inner Harbor East, a bustling waterfront stop with its own attractions, retail shops, restaurants and two new hotels on the way.

The best view of the city is from the top of Federal Hill on the south side of the Inner Harbor. The surrounding neighborhood has a variety of boutiques and restaurants and one of the city's most popular markets. Mount Vernon, the cultural center of the city, was the address for the rich and famous during the 18th and 19 centuries. Their legacies include the first architectural monument to George Washington; Peabody Conservatory of Music; The Walters Art Gallery; and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption, the first Roman Catholic cathedral in the United States. And don't forget about Canton, to the east. There you will find one of the city's hottest neighborhoods, where old factories have been converted into a thriving retail and entertainment hub."

And from a related website (http://www.mdisfun.org/destinations/central.asp#city ), here's more about the Inner Harbor and the cultural highlights of downtown Baltimore:

Since it was redeveloped by James Rouse in the late 1970s, millions of people have come to see Baltimore's Inner Harbor, where they can ride the elevator 27 stories to the Top of the World Observation Level and Museum in the World Trade Center, explore the inside of the World War II submarine Torsk and visit sharks, dolphins, sea turtles and thousands of other aquatic animals at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Across the harbor, the Maryland Science Center has hands-on exhibits on science. Nearby, the Maryland Science Center has exhibits on science and marine research. Visitors to the Inner Harbor also can see the Pride of Baltimore II when she is in town. This fast-sailing 160-foot topsail schooner is a replica of the famous Baltimore Clippers, who earned their reputation by capturing hundreds of British merchant ships during the War of 1812. Nearby, the kid-powered museum, Port Discovery, is where three floors of interactive fun await kids of all ages.

Baltimore also has been a center of art, music,literature and culture for many years. It is home to the oldest music school in the United States, the Peabody Conservatory of Music, as well as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Baltimore Opera. The country's oldest museum building, the Peale Museum, was built in Baltimore by painter Rembrandt Peale in 1814. At the Walters Art Gallery, rooms that remind you of an ancient castle with suits of armor for men and horses, an eight-story tapestry, Egyptian mummies, and much more can be seen. Paintings by Picasso and Cezanne are among the many works of art at the Baltimore Museum of Art. The museum also has a modern art collection, as well as art from Africa, Oceania and Asia. The American Visionary Art Museum has exhibits of paintings and objects created by "visionary" or "untrained" artists.

Among Baltimore's literary landmarks is a house lived in by Edgar Allan Poe, who died in Baltimore in 1849. He is buried in Westminster Cemetery, where a monument to him was erected with money collected by Baltimore teachers and schoolchildren in 1875. Overlooking Union Square is the 19th-century home of newspaperman H.L. Mencken, once described as the "scourge of windbags, frauds, wowsers, mountebanks, hypocrites, bigots. . . the U.S. Congress, Prohibition and every president from Theodore Roosevelt to Harry S. Truman."

Oriole Park at Camden Yards is the home of the Baltimore Orioles. Nearby is the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Baseball Center, where baseball great George Herman "Babe" Ruth was born. The Baltimore Ravens draw fans to exciting football games nearby at PSINet Stadium and the Pimlico Race Course hosts the Preakness, the second jewel in thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown.

Another popular attraction is Fort McHenry National Shrine and Monument. Next door is PSI Net, home of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens. This star-shaped fort was bombed by the British on September 13, 1814. Francis Scott Key, a young American attorney, was imprisoned aboard a British ship when the bombing ended 24 hours later. He could see the American flag flying above the fort and knew the United States had won. While on the ship, Key wrote a poem that later became "The Star-Spangled Banner," the national anthem. The original manuscript of the poem is on display at the Maryland Historical Society Museum and is an important resource for the study of Maryland history."

Venues

In mid-March we received from EAM the information on accommodations needed for hosting the conference, in terms of sleeping and meeting rooms, catering, etc.

In the month and a half since then, we have contacted every single hotel in the Inner Harbor that was large enough to accommodate us. We had to contend with a city-wide hotel room block restricting the availability of sleeping rooms in the Inner Harbor for May of 2003, and with the hotels' reluctance to accommodate our needs for a high percentage of their meeting rooms and only a low percentage of their sleeping rooms. We extended our search to other areas of the city and the state, and even to Washington D. C.

After a laborious and nerve-wracking process, we are delighted to report that we have been able to secure proposals from two of the best hotels in the Inner Harbor, the Sheraton and the Radisson.

Sheraton Inner Harbor

The Sheraton was able to present a full proposal by April 30, 2002 (please find attached). The terms of the proposal are guaranteed only until this Friday, May 3rd. The Sheraton can meet all of our accommodation needs on April 30 through May 3rd, 2003, but is completely booked for the weeks after that.

The Sheraton is the official hotel of the Baltimore Orioles and of the Baltimore Ravens, which makes it possible to offer special ticket packages. It is conveniently located in the Inner Harbor just next to I-95, 11 miles from the Baltimore Washington International Airport (the BWI Super Shuttle stops at the hotel every half hour), and about 2 miles from Penn Train station. The hotel offers self and valet parking. It is within easy walking access to all of the Inner Harbor attractions:

Baltimore Convention Center - 1 Block

Harborplace - 1 Block

Maryland Science Center/Imax Theatre - 2 Blocks

National Aquarium - 2 Blocks

Oriole Park at Camden Yards - 2 Blocks

US Frigate Constellation - 2 Blocks

Mechanic Theatre - 3 Blocks

PSI Net Stadium (Baltimore Ravens) - 3 Blocks

Baltimore Arena - 4 Blocks

R&O Railroad Museum - 5 Blocks

Fell's Point - 2 Miles

Little Italy - 2 Miles

Johns Hopkins University - 3 Miles

Baltimore Zoo - 5 Miles

Pimlico Race Track - 8 Miles

The Sheraton's 337 newly renovated guestrooms offer spectacular harbor, city, and stadium views. Rooms are equipped with coffee maker, portable blow dryer and service bar, Nintendo, two in-room phone lines with voice mail and computer port for modem accessibility, full size ironing board and iron, etc.

Some of the hotel amenities include an indoor swimming pool and a complimentary workout facility open 24 hours a day. Dining options include the well-known hotel restaurants (Morton's of Chicago, The Steakhouse and the Orioles Grille), as well as all the Inner Harbor restaurants, just one block away.

Xerox, The Document Center is located on the ground floor and open 24 h for copy, fax, and computer services. The Sheraton offers 16 meeting rooms, located on two floors, easily accessible by escalators or elevator. They are being able to accommodate our Registration, Exhibits, breaks and 7 breakout rooms all on the same level (Level II), plus one breakout room on Level III (all connected by escalators). A map and description of the meeting rooms are attached.

For more on the Sheraton, including slide show of the facilities, please see www.sheraton.com

Radisson Inner Harbor

The Radisson Inner Harbor was able to send us a proposal this Monday, April 29 (please find attached). They can accommodate us during the week of May 7-10, 2003. The terms of their proposal are valid until Friday, May 10, 2002.

The Radisson is Baltimore's only registered historic landmark hotel. It is located in the heart of the entertainment and financial district of Baltimore, three blocks from the Inner Harbor. It is 10 miles from BWI Airport, and 3 miles from Penn Train station. Due to the historic nature of the building, they only offer valet parking, but self-parking is available in adjacent parking garages.

The Radisson is across the street from the Morris Mechanic Theater, within walking distance to the National Aquarium and all Inner Harbor attractions (shopping and entertainment complex, Orioles and Ravens stadiums, etc.).

The Radisson has just completed a multi-million dollar renovation. It offers 424 guestrooms (each with twoline telephone including voice mail and data ports, coffee makers, hair dryers, iron/board, etc.), as well as a complete fitness center with whirlpool, sauna, and a variety of fitness equipment. Dining facilities at the hotel include the Lord Baltimore grille, the Lobby bar, and a deli, as well as room service. The hotel is within walking distance to all the Inner Harbor and financial district restaurants.

The Radisson has 21,000 square feet of meeting facilities to accommodate up to 800 guests, including two ballrooms, an Audio-Visual theater, and nineteen other meeting rooms of various sizes. The meeting room map and capacity chart are attached.

For more on the Radisson, see http://www.radisson.com/baltimoremd_innerharbor. Click on "Meetings" for a virtual tour of the meeting facilities. A virtual tour of the entire Radisson is available at http://www.photowebusa.com/inner-harbor/

Support

At the present time, two universities have confirmed interest in hosting or sponsoring the meeting, Towson University and University of Baltimore. Both are part of the University System and conveniently located close to each other, as well as to the Sheraton and the Radisson. Both universities are undergoing periods of transition at the Dean and President levels, but we hope to find out soon what level of support we can expect.

There are numerous other universities in the area, which will be approached for support. We will also solicit contributions from corporate and other sponsors.

Personnel

Both of us (Jeff Mello, Towson U., and Regina Bento, U. Baltimore), have agreed to lead the local arrangements efforts, should the EAM Board decide to hold the meeting in Baltimore. We plan to invite members of co-hosting and sponsoring organizations to serve on the local arrangements committee.

Budget

Please see follow-up document.