Harrah’s Las Vegas has officially unveiled the fruits of its $200 million investment in a massive renovation project that includes 2,542 redesigned guest rooms, a complete casino floor remodel and exterior enhancements in the form of two new LED marquees at the property’s north and south entrances. 

Experience Kissimmee Senior Director of Meeting Sales and Services Michelle Moore couldn’t believe her ears at a recent meeting at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center. In a pre-event meeting, the key players were discussing dine-arounds, branding activations and entertainment options. 

The high number of vaccinations are not only making it possible for corporations to start gathering again, but also opening the door for employees to return to their offices. Just as events won’t be the same again, neither will be work.

Even though many Americans are getting back to work and vaccination rates are leveling off, the JW Marriott Indianapolis hasn’t stopped helping those still out of work and hurting financially due to COVID-19. Since March 2020, the hotel has been showing its concern for its community by hosting free Community Food Distribution events in partnership with Gleaners Community Food Bank. 

Events and hospitality companies are gearing up for a digital financial future by accepting cryptocurrency as a customer payment option.

Start spreading the news: Destinations are open for business. But rather than screaming to the hills, CVBs and destination management companies are taking a more selective approach to how they roll out the red carpet. Targeted messaging is the theme uniting an array of approaches taken to attract groups to town. Here are some highlights:

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Visit St. Pete/Clearwater President and CEO Steve Hayes can’t say for certain that the new Amazon Prime Series, “Life’s Rewards,” has a happy ending. While not familiar with all of the plot points, Hayes is certainly hoping for the best out of the series, which debuts May 10.

As much of the country moves on to their second round of vaccinations, travelers are taking steps to returning to the open road. What used to be old hat — getting on an airplane, stepping into a lobby, etc. — will feel new again. It will be a little scary while at the same time exhilarating, hotel chains like Hilton are expecting.

The trick will be balancing all the new with the old, so traveling seems as easy as getting back on a bicycle — even if the path has been altered. Any sense of normalcy will be welcomed.

Caesars Entertainment is going all-in on Atlantic City. The hospitality giant recently unveiled a $400 million master plan investment in its Caesars, Harrah’s Resort and Tropicana Atlantic City casino-resort properties. Already underway, the plans include:

With destinations opening up for business and vaccination rates ramping up, flexible and functional outdoor spaces for meetings and events are an appealing choice for event groups who may not feel comfortable gathering indoors just yet.

In this reopening, a plethora of resort and hotel properties are rising to the occasion by leveraging their existing open-air spaces in new and inventive ways to service events. And after a year of being cooped up, some extra fresh air sounds good, COVID or no COVID.