Gone were the formalities. Ties were hidden in the deepest, darkest corner of the closet, shoes thrown under the bed and the suit … in a dumpster.

Bon Voyage, the travel supplement from Excelsior, ranked the Riviera Maya as the best beach in Mexico.

The Riviera Maya, the Mexican region south of Cancun, is a stretch of white sand beaches and turquoise Caribbean Sea that has recently been bustling with new developments and investments. Sergio Segura, an innovative Mexican architect, is blending the local tropical landscape, ultra-modern luxury, and his signature soft curves to create exquisite, luxury condominiums.

The latest addition to the blistering international party calendar was the 7 day electronic music festival dedicated to all players in the industry. Every aspect of the industry was represented including top international artists, event planners, venue owners, hospitality staff and Canadian music enthusiasts; not to mention a huge Mexican contingent.

Love Mexico, an event attended by 120 proffessional wedding planners from Mexico, US and Canada, started last Thursday at Playa del Carmen. Each wedding planner expects to work on 5 weddings at Mexico per year; that represents a potential 49 million dollar market for this segment.

The Riviera Maya participated on the Luxury Travel Expo/LTE held at Las Vegas, Nevada, from December 1st-3rd. It’s the only north american trade expo entirely dedicated to the luxury travel industry.

On a crescent moon night, the third date between jazz and fans took place on Playa del Carmen, with songs from Sacbé, Spyro Gyra and Sergio Mendes.