Center for Exhibition Industry Research has released two new reports focused on the trade show industry’s latest best practices.

When it comes to meetings and conventions hotel bookings, rates are rising: The average daily rate (ADR) for groups is up 1.9 percent compared to 2018. But the higher rates aren’t slowing group bookings down. Those numbers are also trending upwards, with a 0.3 percent increase in committed room nights compared to July 2018.

The transient segment ADR is also up, though only slightly at 0.2 percent; transient business ADR was down 2 percent.

International Association of Exhibitions and Events has released an update to its Guidelines for Display Rules and Regulations. The guidelines are designed to promote continuity and consistency among U.S. exhibitions and events.

IAEE recommends that event organizers use the guidelines to create consistent and fair exhibiting standards based on the individual features of their specific exhibition or event. Show managers also often include a copy in exhibitor kits or prospectuses as a helpful reference tool for event managers responsible for booth design.

Freeman has achieved the Level 2 APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Meetings Standard Certification from the Events Industry Council. This certification pertains to the evaluation and selection of exhibits for environmentally sustainable meetings, events, trade shows and conferences for suppliers (general service contractor/venue).

To help draw attention to the serious issue of human trafficking, ECPAT-USA, part of ECPAT International — a global network working to eradicate sexual exploitation of children — is launching a new campaign called 20BY20.

Eldorado Resorts has agreed to acquire Caesars Entertainment in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at $8.58 billion, creating a mega-casino company in the United States. 

The combined company will provide its guests with access to approximately 60 domestic casino–resorts and gaming facilities across 16 states.

Event technology giant Cvent has once again expanded its reach, this time through the acquisition of San Francisco-based mobile app provider DoubleDutch.

What if we told you that approximately half of all delegates attending large-scale, urban conventions are booking outside the designated room block? You might go into full-on panic mode — or, nod knowingly, as this has likely affected your meetings. And this is the new reality for meeting planners, according to a study conducted by Kalibri Labs and Prism Advisory Group.

Does your salary reflect what you think you’re worth? If you’re like most corporate event professionals, the answer is probably no (more on that below); yet the forecast for our industry in this area is looking at least partially sunny.

Nearly 75 percent of business event organizers received a raise over the past year, averaging a 7-percent increase, according to PCMA’s annual Salary Survey, released this week.

Is face-to-face marketing still relevant, and are there plans to use it moving forward? What is the image of the business-to-business exhibition channel today? A new report from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research aims to answer those questions — and more — from the perspective of marketing leaders.