The wildfires that tore through the island of Maui and the historic town of Lahaina, destroying more than 2,500 acres of land and claiming the lives of 115 residents ­– and counting – will go down in history as one of the worst national disasters in Hawaii’s history.

Neurodiverse, autistic and sensory-challenged attendees who may feel overwhelmed and overstimulated by the convention center environment while participating in events at Pittsburgh’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center (DLCC) now have several new resources available at the venue.

Combating food waste is a hot topic in the meetings and events industry these days — and for good reason. The average event wastes 15% to 20% of the food it produces, according to a recent Beyond Food Report. 

As the 13^th largest city in the U.S. and one of the fastest-growing in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Fort Worth, Texas, boasts a growth rate of 100,000 people every five years and a visitor economy valued at more than $3 billion, according to state officials. However, the city’s convention space currently ranks 47^th in the nation, and its hotel capacity stands at less than half of neighboring cities such as Dallas and Austin.

Two new InterContinental Hotels & Resorts properties will soon be arriving in San Antonio and the Seattle area via a massive renovation project and new development, respectively. 

With only a few weeks left of the summer season, now is the perfect time to step outside of the traditional urban conference center environment and take your event into the great outdoors!

After more than nine years of planning, including a three-year feasibility period demonstrating significant demand from convention clients, the city of Indianapolis is about to get a larger convention center and a new 800-room headquarter hotel. 

The Pennsylvania Convention Center (PCC) has earned Gold Level certification for the Events Industry Council’s (EIC) Sustainable Event Standards for venues, part of a collection of eight standards developed to assess events and industry suppliers on specific criteria for producing and delivering environmentally and socially responsible events.

Across the U.S., hospitality companies have been busy acquiring and rebranding hotel and resort properties, as well as completing renovations, to up their game as they compete for pre-pandemic levels of meetings and leisure business. Here’s a roundup of recent hotel developments.

Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina

Following an extensive and competitive RFP process, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) has selected global sports and live entertainment company Oak View Group (OVG) as the new private management and food service partner for Chicago’s McCormick Place, Wintrust Arena and Arie Crown Theater. 

Beginning Oct. 1 and running through Sept. 2028, the management and F&B contracts were awarded to OVG360 and OVG Hospitality, respectively, following a unanimous vote by the MPEA Board.