News
Oct 18, 2017
The IACC has released the results of its Trends in Nutrition & Delegate Wellbeing survey, which asked venue respondents a series of questions regarding health choices available to attendees through menus and types of event spaces.
The results, officially released on Oct. 4, reveal that nutrition and wellbeing are high priorities for event delegates, and the demand for food that improves mental clarity and concentration levels is growing.
According to the report, venues are receiving more requests for foods that go beyond nutritional density, with attendees demanding “brain foods” that… more
Oct 17, 2017
The Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) has launched the Discover Atlanta: Official Guide mobile application. While mobile applications are not new technology, this is the first destination marketing app powered by the artificial intelligence of a gaming platform.
Released on Oct. 12, Discover Atlanta: Official Guide was designed and built in partnership with Winistry, makers of the Intelligent Mobile App Platform. This technology enables ACVB to promote Atlanta in a unique, personalized manner, based on user preference, behavior, location and even time of day.
“We strategically… more
Oct 16, 2017
A strong roster of expert speakers leading sessions is critical in an event’s appeal to attendees. In addition to events promoting their speaker lineup, speakers promoting the events they participate in can help push attendance growth.
While not all show organizers are utilizing this grassroots effort, many have found it to be a critical tool and likewise, many speakers are eager to contribute to an event’s success.
“Because of the ease of use in posting to social media and even creating videos (after all, how hard is it to stick your face in front of your computer’s webcam, hit ‘record’… more
Oct 12, 2017
It’s understandable why parallels have been drawn between Eau Claire, Wisconsin and both Portland, Oregon and Austin, Texas in their nascent stages. All three cities celebrate the unique and are supportive of those who want to follow their dreams. And like Portland and Austin, Eau Claire boasts a vibrant music scene, as evidenced by the annual Eaux Claires music festival, held in the summer.
With a population of approximately 66,000, outdoor activities abound in Eau Claire, with bike paths downtown as well as trails for hiking and mountain biking, and in the warmer seasons kayakers can be… more
Oct 11, 2017
Liz Lathan, Tom Spano and Nicole Osibodu are three event marketing industry professionals who saw a need for a new kind of conference for event and experiential marketers. Leveraging their own expertise along with that of fellow industry professionals, they decided to create the event that represented their visions. Thus, Haute Dokimazo was born.
“All the event industry conferences we were going to had the same format: keynotes, breakouts, etc.,” explained Lathan.
She continued, “The value in true peer-to-peer interactions that are not pre-planned is so wonderful and that was missing.… more
Oct 11, 2017
Leaders representing the meetings, travel and hospitality sectors gathered Oct. 10 during IMEX America at the Sands Expo & Convention Center to support #VegasStrong, the hashtag that represents the resiliency of Las Vegas after a mass shooting occurred at the Route 91 Harvest Festival 10 days earlier.
The Sands Showroom was packed for the press conference with individuals from the Las Vegas hospitality community, as well as media and executives from industry associations, including IAEE, SISO and ASAE.
A video played first with an Andre Agassi voiceover asking “What Is Strength” and… more
Oct 09, 2017
For event planners and marketers, analytical reports can be gold mines for driving registrations, adoption of tools and calculating ROI. However, the true potential of analytics remains underutilized in testing the effectiveness of marketing efforts, testing new audience segments and creating impactful cross-promotional efforts. This is mostly because there are a plethora of options and features available, as well as disconnected channels that add significant complexity to the analytical process and make accurate attribution extremely difficult.
If you have been struggling with putting your… more
Oct 06, 2017
Live event marketing and engagement platform DoubleDutch acquired event registration provider EventGrid on Sept. 28. The event tech company will create an integrated solution that will provide an end-to-end event marketing system for event planners and marketers.
The inclusion of EventGrid technology will allow DoubleDutch to offer customers pre-event services including registration, ticketing and event website generation. One of the company’s goals for the capabilities expansion is to enable planners to become more data-driven, leveraging the platform first to target specific audiences for… more
Oct 04, 2017
Marriott International just opened its first-ever luxury dual-branded hotel in downtown Denver, bringing two lauded European-inspired brands to the city: Le Méridien and AC Hotels by Marriott. The new development, owned and managed by White Lodging Services Corporation, is designed to deliver two distinct experiences under a single roof.
Le Méridien Denver Downtown offers a clean mid-century modern design and features the brand’s signature Le Méridien Hub lobby, which acts as a social gathering place serving coffee during the day and cocktails at The Lobbyist bar in the evening.
The hotel… more
Oct 03, 2017
Corporate events range in formats, styles, locations and objectives, but they all have one thing in common—they need to maximize the people participating in order to advance the brand’s goals. Two corporate event planners—Stephanie Heishman, principal at Freya and Christy Lamagna, founder and master strategist at Strategic Meetings & Events—share insights about how they make their marketing plans works.
Both planners agree that successful marketing campaigns start with a creating comprehensive communication strategy in advance. Communicating on the fly or relying on word of mouth from… more
Partner Voices
Just when it seems like Las Vegas can’t get any bigger, brighter or more exciting for groups, MGM Resorts raises the bar again. The company continues to invest and innovate across its portfolio of Las Vegas resorts, with new attractions and upgraded experiences for attendees of all interests.
Remodeled Guest Rooms
MGM Grand is the largest single hotel in the world with over 5,000 guest rooms and an 850,000-square-foot conference center. It is home to the newly remodeled MGM Grand Studio Tower—700 reimagined guest rooms with a fun mid-century vibe. Nearby, the iconic New York-New York Las more