News
Apr 15, 2025
Planning a meeting Salt Lake City? Attending an event or exhibiting at Salt Palace Convention Center? We’ve got the ultimate planning guide.
As Salt Lake City gears up to host the Winter Olympics in 2034, visitors will notice the infrastructure upgrades in and around the city. In addition to the Olympics, sports fans have plenty to cheer about. In 2024, the city welcomed an NHL expansion team that’s known as the Utah Hockey Club, which plays at the Delta Center, home of the NBA’s Utah Jazz.
Situated at an elevation of 4,330 feet, Salt Lake City boasted a population of 209,593 in 2023,… more
Apr 14, 2025
After searching for more than one year for a permanent replacement, Choose Chicago has tapped Kristen Reynolds, who has served as Discover Long Island President and CEO since 2015, as its new president and Chief Executive Officer, effective May 5. She will lead Chicago’s convention and tourism industry, which is a key driver of the city’s economy, generating $19.5 billion in leisure and business spending in 2023, according to the latest research by Choose Chicago.
The position has been vacant since Lynn Osmond stepped down on January 31, 2024. Choose Chicago Board Member Rich Gamble, who… more
Apr 11, 2025
Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID), celebrated annually in April, is one day of the year where meeting and event professionals around the world step out from behind the scenes to celebrate the importance of their work.
The History of GMID
What began as Canadian National Meetings Industry Day more than two decades ago expanded to include North American Meetings Industry Day in 2015 and, finally, GMID, as the day has been known as since 2016. Though initially an incentive spearheaded by Meetings Mean Business (a coalition that’s now fully integrated into the U.S. Travel Association), as… more
Apr 10, 2025
CMOs and companies are increasingly recognizing the power of an event-led growth (ELG) strategy in driving business success, according to the compelling findings of “An Outlook on Events in 2025” report recently published by Cvent-owned event marketing technology company Splash. In fact, event marketers who adopt ELG strategies are 140% more likely than those who don’t to see an average company growth rate of more than 50%.
“The 94% of marketers using event-led growth are reporting consistent revenue from events, compared to 77% for those who don’t leverage events as a programmatic… more
Apr 09, 2025
With rising demand for memorable and unique experiences, all-inclusive resorts are fast becoming a top choice for corporate meetings, incentive trips, and brand activations. In March, Corporate Event News went on location in Mexico to tour three standout Hilton all-inclusive properties—each offering a unique blend of elevated hospitality, versatile meeting space, and the kind of amenities today’s attendees (and planners) expect.
From purpose-built convention centers and ocean view ballrooms to immersive dining and entertainment offerings, these properties go beyond vacation-mode and deliver… more
Apr 08, 2025
According to the Events Industry Council (EIC), event sustainability means taking action towards preserving our natural environment; promoting a healthy, inclusive society, and supporting a thriving economy. For most events, this usually translates into cutting back energy and water usage and reducing waste. But some event organizers are going the extra mile to make a difference by launching initiatives such as using algae as ink or offering onsite sustainability tours.
EarthX
From its humble beginnings as an Earth Day street festival in Dallas, EarthX has now grown into a large-scale,… more
Apr 07, 2025
Three major U.S. convention centers announced event space expansions, new environmental practices, and enhanced tech capabilities recently.
OCCC to Start Expansion Project in 2026
The Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, Fla., will soon kick off a $560 million expansion project resulting in an additional 44,000 square feet of meeting space and a 100,000-square-foot ballroom in its North-South Building. Officially named the Grand Concourse Expansion, construction will begin in 2026 and is expected to finish in 2029.
“We are excited to begin work on our Grand Concourse… more
Apr 04, 2025
The allure of all-inclusive resorts can often seem dreamy and distant, but more corporate events are discovering the appeal for business. Case in point: In March, a global shipping company hosted a corporate event at the Hilton Cancun, an all-inclusive resort, buying out all 715 guest rooms of the hotel and convention center with 68,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space that opened in November 2021.
At the forefront of this vibrant industry lies Nicole Tilzer, Hilton’s vice president of All-Inclusive and Resort Strategy, who plays a lead role in shaping the unforgettable… more
Apr 03, 2025
Since February, event industry suppliers across the country have been welcoming new leadership, growing their teams, as well as saying goodbye to industry veterans who are moving on to new ventures.
CEN’s take on the biggest recent move: Visit Baltimore President and CEO Al Hutchinson will be stepping down from his leadership role, effective June 30. Hutchinson will stay on in a consultant role to assist with the transition until his successor is identified, and a committee comprised of several members of the Baltimore Convention & Tourism Board (BCTB) has been established to help… more
Apr 02, 2025
A contractor, an AI tech company, and an event website creation platform recently launched new solutions and upgrades to elevate the event planning and onsite experience for show organizers and attendees, respectively.
Freeman Launches Generative AI Tool to Elevate Attendee Education
Global events company Freeman launched Key Takeaways, powered by Snapsight (a Freeman technology partner), a new web-based tool designed to help event organizers increase session impact and enhance attendee learning. Leveraging generative AI, Key Takeaways connects to event audio feeds to transcribe a speaker… more
Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.
Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is more