National Aquarium will add Blacktip Reef, a vibrant new exhibit in summer 2013 in Baltimore. This coral-filled exhibit, replicating a salt-water Indo-Pacific ocean habitat, will feature animals new to National Aquarium, including blacktip reef sharks, reticulated whiptail rays and ornate wobbegong sharks, as well as some of National Aquarium’s most beloved animals, including Calypso, the four hundred-pound green sea turtle, and zebra sharks Zeke and Zoe.

Florida Eco-Safaris at Forever Florida, a forty-seven hundred-acre working cattle ranch and nature preserve, debuted an unprecedented zipline adventure experience in April. In addition to its Zipline Safari (opened in October 2011) and the Cypress Canopy Cycle (opened in July 2011 and the only of its kind in the United States), there are four new attractions that provide thrills and spills to adventure seekers, all located in a hub of towers and wires.

On August 11, 1992, Mall of America opened its doors as the nation’s largest retail and entertainment complex, changing the face of Minnesota forever. Now, “the place for fun in your life” turns 20 on Saturday, August 11, 2012.

The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) web application has been updated to allow for multiple applications to be submitted and paid for in one transaction.  The new online application will be available Wednesday, August 15.

The Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California, presents a collection by one of America's most iconic and beloved artists, Norman Rockwell, from November 10, 2012, through February 3, 2013.

American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell offers a rare look at nostalgic and historic works from the Norman Rockwell Museum collection that explores the artist, his images, and their impact and influence on American culture. This exhibition will feature more than 50 paintings and 323 original Saturday Evening Post covers. It is the first major Rockwell exhibit in California in 10 years.

The timelessness and emotion of Rockwell's work draws every generation. This exhibition explores his themes of family ("Freedom from Want" and "Christmas Homecoming"), innocence ("Girl at Mirror"), and hometown heroism ("Mine America's Coal") that permeate Rockwell's work. His unique artistic legacy offers a personal chronicle of twentieth-century life and aspirations that has both reflected and profoundly influenced American perceptions and ideals.

For more information, call 916-808-7000 or visit crockerartmuseum.org.

Source and Photo: Sacramento CVB

Collette Vacations has released a full-size brochure devoted to 2013-2014 unpublished itineraries only available to the Group travel market. The unpublished tours do not appear in any other Collette marketing pieces.

I’m a little nervous today. Why?

I’m always seeking reader input—I need your input to assemble the industry, business, and destination information you need. Most often, I do this one planner at a time, over the phone, at trade shows, on FAM trips.

Today, however, will be different, with a group of planners talking to us (and among themselves) about the Groups Today media outlets. I say that I want feedback, positive and negative, but it’s human nature to think the worst.

So, we’ll see what is said, and then we’ll see how Groups Today will improve for you.

If you have feedback on Groups Today magazine, website, and social media channels, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

I can take it…I think.

I know very little about Steve Jobs, besides Apple products and black turtlenecks and blue jeans. So, when I read this article about Jobs on Wired, I was surprised. Turns out, Jobs was a bit of a jerk (in the same aspect the ghost chili pepper is a bit hot).

He berated anyone who displeased him, no matter if they worked for him or not. He disregarded contracts and rules to get what he wanted.

I can understand wanting excellence, pushing for success, and not getting overly emotionally involved. However, personally, I can’t understand having no hesitation whatsoever about being rude, hurtful, and other words to take the place of the cuss words I’m not going to write.

I believe you can require and achieve excellence without being a jerk.

Will I ever achieve business success like Jobs? Nope. Success for me is going home to my wife and daughter. Success for me is employees who are happy (at least no too stressed or upset).

Success for me is helping those around me succeed. Do I always succeed? I just spit on my computer monitor from laughing at that thought, but I’m not going to stop trying to help more and more.

What do you consider success, and how do you think it can be best achieved? Share your thoughts below or on Facebook or Twitter.

I was disheartened to read the report of another motorcoach crash on July 4. It seems a casino-run bus slid out of control on wet pavement and hit medians and barriers in New Rochelle, New York. There were minor injuries, but, fortunately, no one was killed.

But that wasn’t the worst of it for me.

Obviously in the group travel industry, no one wants even one motorcoach accident to occur, and Federal government is doing more to crack down on unsafe and rogue operators (Twenty-six unsafe and illegal bus companies were shut down in May.)

No, the worst of it for me was the vile crap that was typed in the comment sections under the stories. You see, the bus was billed as an “Asian Bus” option and was driven by a Chinese bus driver.

You can imagine the garbage in the comments, and I hope you feel some of the outrage I did when reading them. It’s difficult at this moment to promote the experience and value of travel with people like that out there.

But I know that group planners like you, and your travelers, are more intelligent than the commenters, and when you travel, you try to seek the best, and act the best, in every way.

So, instead of being dragged down by morons, let’s lift one another up. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it of the good that happens on your trips.

Nobody likes to be ignored.

No, not even introverts like me. I want you to pay attention to me. Oh, as soon as you do, I’ll run away, but I at least want that acknowledgement.

It’s nice to be acknowledged. It’s essential to acknowledge people in order to provide good customer service. Notice I didn’t say great customer service. I’m just talking about the basics. Unfortunately, all too often we get caught in the mindset that we’re too busy to do even simple tasks—such as responding to voicemails and e-mails.

But those voicemails and e-mail represent customers, and potential marketing via word-of-mouth, whether good or bad. Good most likely if you reply in a timely manner. Bad if you don’t.

What’s a timely manner? ActionCoach puts it this way: “Response time ideally should be within twenty-four hours of the message. If you retrieve your messages two times per day during strategically placed times, you will have ample time and energy to accomplish this task.”

Twenty-four hours. Let’s all say that together, “Within twenty-four hours.” Even if it’s a simple “no” or “Got your message,” respond.

That way we won’t talk about you behind your back. Or forget about you.