Champagne shortage this year? Champagne producers in France agreed to pick a third fewer grapes this year, the Wall Street Journal says, part of a plan to slash the number of bottles produced in 2009 by 44 percent. Global Champagne sales are predicted to fall ths year by almost 20 percent from their 2007 high as consumers trade down to cheaper wines, and Champagne makers are determined not to be forced to unload their premium product at bargain prices …

Get your Galas going A reminder that Gala Award entries are due Sept. 18. But if you're slammed, don't stress. You can send them in by our special "late-bird" deadline—Sept. 25—for a slightly higher fee. Read more here …

Nothing beats face-to-face, execs say U.S. business executives overwhelmingly believe that holding a face-to-face gathering is the only way to go to reach critical goals, according to a recent study quoted by our sister publications, MeetingsNet. Read more here.

Photo by iStockphoto.com / © Carmen Martanez Bana