New York City’s Javits Center may be located in one of the busiest cities in the world, but it’s as green as it gets at this newly expanded facility. The center just unveiled an innovative 200,000-square-foot rooftop that features a glass-enclosed pavilion, an outdoor terrace and a one-acre working farm that is expected to generate up to 40,000 pounds of produce each year for the center’s banquet operations.

Famous for the fortifications, cobblestone streets and colorful Spanish Colonial buildings of Old San Juan, founded in 1519, Puerto Rico is also becoming a favorite for something brand-new, and it’s as vibrant and infused with local heritage as the historic district. Distrito T-Mobile, a five-acre entertainment complex that was being unveiled in phases right across from the Puerto Rico Convention Center, is now fully open, taking the experience for residents, visitors and event attendees to new heights.

MGM Resorts International has entered into a definitive agreement with New York-based private equity behemoth Blackstone Group to acquire the casino and hotel operating rights of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas for just over $1.6 billion. 

Caesars Entertainment is gearing up to expand its extensive global resort portfolio with a new resort development in Danville, Va. Expected to break ground in December, the $500 million Caesars Virginia will include 500 hotel rooms, a state-of-the-art casino floor, Caesars Sportsbook, World Series of Poker Room, new dining and entertainment concepts, as well as meeting and event space.

With Zoom-fatigued attention spans on the wane and pandemic-weary people eager to get back into the world and converge face-to-face again, is a traditional conference center really what the doctor ordered for your next meeting or event? If not, maybe it’s time to get creative and aim for an out-of-box alternative venue to help create excitement and enhance attendee engagement. Here are five fun, unique and creative venues to keep on your radar for your next meeting or special event.

While the pandemic may have sidelined events at convention centers and other venues for a while, several made great use of the downtime to continue constructing new venues or expanding existing facilities. Check out five of the most notable new developments in 2021.

The Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, Fla., has become the first facility of its kind to receive GBAC STAR Facility Re-accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association.

To help promote racial equity and overcome underrepresentation in its local travel and tourism industry, Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission are partnering with Tourism Diversity Matters, a tourism and events industry resource for diversity expertise, to launch the Diversity Apprenticeship Program (DAP).

The global hospitality industry continues readying itself for better times ahead with an array of new builds, remodels and expansion projects aimed to lure meeting and event groups through their doors. Take a look:

New Properties

The Industrial Hotel

Destinations International, the world’s largest and only association dedicated to destination organizations, CVBs and tourism boards, has released its 2021 DestinationNEXT Futures Study, an updated study of key trends and strategies that will help thousands of destination organizations around the world stay thriving and relevant.