As time and attention race toward the Olympics, Beijing’s creative buzz grows louder and louder. From stadium architecture to exhibits hosted by Nike, the city boasts an impressive line-up of inspiration from both innovative and traditional sources. One of our favorite architectural attractions is GreenPix – a zero energy media wall by Simone Giostra and Partners.

The GreenPix project was built around the Xicui entertainment complex in Beijing near the olympic stadiums. Standing as the largest LED display in the world, there is no doubt that the structure will attract many visitors. While the structure’s futuristic sensibilities intrigue us, its self-sufficient organic system impresses us. The LED panels harvest solar energy during the day and use it to illuminate the screen during the night. As Giostra states, “The Media Wall will provide the city of Beijing with its first venue dedicated to digital media art, while offering the most radical example of sustainable technology applied to an entire building’s envelope to date.” If you’re in Beijing this summer, be sure to check it out. Click Read More for photos, video and additional information.

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To get you up to speed in case you missed last week’s post… Dr. McDreamy and I were riding on the elevator when I let it slip I was carrying his love child. He had no idea what I was talking about, but his evil twin Dr. McMeany had been in town four months ago… and then I was voted off the island. Ok, I was just practicing for my future career in writing for TV – so the real story – after more than 20 years of traveling for business, my number was picked and I had an accident on the road, who would have thought it could happen to me? Those of us who travel routinely often take for granted that the worst thing that can happen on the road is our flight is delayed or the airline was just sold to Arbys. And until now that included me. The last thing on our minds is an accident/illness or other type of emergency, but in reality anything can happen.

In Part One I dealt with the basics of preparing for a possible emergency as well as a few suggestions to help you get through a crisis. So as I sit here nursing a torn ACL, in Part Two I decided to deal with both frequent and infrequent problems you might need assistance.

Be sure to click Read More for the rest of Anne Rumpf’s weekly column focused on business travel. If you have any comments for Anne, feel free to email her here.

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Fans of Virgin America get ready. It was reported today that the domestic air carrier is seeking government approval to serve Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. O’Hare is one of the nation’s busiest airports and would provide a solid step for the popular airline. This year they look to increase services and expand options for travelers. Should they get approval, they anticipate providing direct air service to O’Hare from San Francisco and Los Angeles as early as this summer.

Also in today’s news, we found a great photo essay capturing the hustle and bustle of Beijing’s T3 terminal. Words are good, but pictures say it all. Could the reportedly HUGE T3 not be big enough? Danwei takes a look. Click Read More for additional information about Virgin America and Beijing’s T3 Terminal.

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Once we hit Spring there seems to be an explosion of art fairs and exhibitions. Good weather and art go hand in hand. Case in point, ArteBA in Buenos Aires. Held at La Rural from May 29 to June 2, this annual five day contemporary art fair not only provides a platform promoting several dozens of Argentinean and international artists, but visitors are open to participate in debates and talks that are held throughout the event. This highly anticipated and well respected exhibition is a must see. Click Read More for additional information about the event.

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The last time I was in Moscow, I was there for a soccer tournament. We arrived one day before the coup d’etat against Gorbachev and left one day after the coup collapsed and Yeltsin became a household name. For the time we were there, communication home was shut down, there was little news about what was going on, and we were nervous about our own ability to leave the torn city, country and region. But, we still had soccer. The tournament continued and for the ninety minutes we were on the field everything was normal – even with tanks lining the streets.

There’s something magical about soccer, and there’s something even more magical about the global community’s love for the game. No matter what’s going on, once that whistle blows, the focus is the soccer pitch, the players and the game. On May 21, Manchester United plays Chelsea for the Champions League final in Moscow. The world will be watching and it’s reported that more than 50,000 fans will descend upon the city. If you’re one of the lucky travelers who will be attending the game, The Guardian recently put together a nice travel guide of six things to do while in the city. Be sure to check out the article here.

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