Gotta getta Gala! Just a reminder that you have till Sept. 16 to send in your great entries for the Special Events Gala Awards. (And the late-bird deadline—for just a few dollars more--is Sept. 23.) To qualify, the events must have taken place between Sept. 1, 2010, and Aug. 31, 2011. The info is all right here. Questions? Send an email here …

Two-thirds of caterers see solid holiday party business in 2011 According to the latest online poll from Special Events, 2011 holiday party business is firming up. Some 39 percent of respondents predict 2011 holiday party business will be better than it was in 2010, while 28 percent say it will equal 2010. A total of 31 percent say 2011 will be worse than 2010 …

Post-9/11: Assessing the "lost decade" Reflecting on the 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, U.S. Travel Association president and CEO Roger Dow unveils his organization’s ideas for how U.S. government agencies can strengthen security and encourage travel in and to the U.S. Read more from our sister publications, the MeetingsGroup, here.