News
Oct 07, 2024
Asking attendees about their dietary restrictions and preferences—and accommodating them—is part of any F&B 101 curriculum. Delegates’ meals affect their satisfaction with the event and, ultimately, the bottom line, so accommodating dietary needs is part of the job.
But some planners see a further twist coming in this already challenging responsibility.
Over time, attendee requests for special meals have expanded beyond vegetarian, kosher, and allergen-free options. As dietary trends have emphasized nutrition-savvy, gut-friendly, plant-based food and more Americans are committed to… more
Oct 04, 2024
Dreamforce made headlines last month after the now-viral moment when comedian John Mulaney roasted Salesforce’s “imminently replaceable” workforce for wearing “fleece vests” and embodying all of the other corporate tech bro stereotypes.
“The fact that there are 45,000 ‘trailblazers’ here couldn’t devalue the title any more,” Mulaney added during his 45-minute set, throwing in that the Salesforce workers filling the audience around him looked “like a group who looked at the self-checkout counters at CVS and thought, ‘This is the future.’”
The reality is that hiring a comedian for an event… more
Oct 03, 2024
As IMEX America 2024 approaches, IMEX Group CEO Carina Bauer joined CEN’s VP of Group Content Danica Tormohlen for an insightful preview of what attendees can expect at this year's event, which will be held Oct. 7-10 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
Bauer told us she expects this year's IMEX America to surpass last year's success in terms of both size and attendance. The event's app, equipped with advanced navigation features akin to Google Maps, will be integral in helping attendees navigate the expansive show floor.
Related: IMEX DEBUTS GROUNDBREAKING DIGITAL WAYFINDING… more
Oct 02, 2024
An array of event technology companies have formed strategic partnerships and added new services to help corporate event planners streamline their events, elevate ROI, and increase attendee inclusivity.
RainFocus Acquires WebEvents Global
Event marketing platform RainFocus has acquired WebEvents Global, an established event technology and data analytics firm. The acquisition will allow RainFocus to extend its leading event marketing position through WebEvents Global’s strong client relationships with leading enterprise technology organizations and long-standing industry expertise,… more
Oct 01, 2024
Just in time for its 20th anniversary, the Omni San Diego Hotel in San Diego’s downtown Gaslamp Quarter recently completed a property-wide renovation that encompasses refreshed meeting and event spaces, a reimagined lobby and guest rooms, two new food and beverage concepts, and a redesigned poolside experience.
Led by New York-based design studio Jeffrey Beers International, the hotel’s new aesthetic features a modern color scheme and refined baseball-inspired design commemorating its connection with Petco Park (connected by the property’s Skybridge) and the San Diego Padres.
Flexible… more
Sep 30, 2024
Nearly 2,000 unionized employees—mostly housekeepers, front-desk agents, cooks, dishwashers, F&B servers, bartenders, bellhops, and door staff—walked off the job at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu on September 24. The 2,860-room property is the largest hotel in Hawaii and the largest Hilton in the world.
The labor action is just the latest in a series of temporary and ongoing walkouts conducted across at least 10 cities by members of national hospitality-labor union UNITE HERE.
In each instance, workers are calling for higher wages as well as eased workloads through a reversal… more
Sep 27, 2024
With a national-park campground theme and a focus on artificial intelligence’s uses and benefits, Dreamforce ’24 was a hot ticket, drawing more than 45,000 people to the Moscone Center in San Francisco from September 17 to 19.
In between the keynote sessions featuring high-profile players such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and California Governor Gavin Newsom (see photo below), attendees walked an indoor and outdoor show floor featuring a combination of high-tech and low-tech activations designed to capture their attention.
Here are three Dreamforce activations that planners could easily… more
Sep 26, 2024
Looking for professional development training for emerging talent and seasoned professionals? A new coaching cohort program has been launched by Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and Visit Fort Worth, with 20 participants completing the inaugural six-week online program in August. The Fall session is currently taking applications, and planners can apply here.
The partnership between MPI and the Texas CVB matches event planners with coaches to help industry professionals define their career trajectories. The inaugural program brought industry professionals together to learn, grow,… more
Sep 24, 2024
What do corporate event organizers need to know about Atlantic City, NJ?
We spent 48 hours at the Jersey Shore to discover some of the old and the new of what Atlantic City has to offer.
Getting there: While there is an airport in Atlantic City, there are many more direct flight options into Philadelphia International Airport, which is about 65 miles away or a one-hour drive with light traffic.
Where we stayed: Nobu Hotel Atlantic City, located in Caesars Atlantic City, opened in March 2024. The latest hotel addition to the Caesars Entertainment portfolio in Atlantic City, Nobu Hotel… more
Sep 23, 2024
While Cvent has long provided event technology aimed at centralized meeting-planning teams, its recent acquisition of Splash aims to strengthen its relationship with corporate marketing professionals who are using events to reach their goals.
With the Splash platform, users create event programs, whether live, hybrid, or virtual, with user-friendly websites, customizable e-mail marketing templates and registration forms, reporting tools, and integrations with Marketo, Salesforce, and other major marketing-technology platforms.
Reggie Aggarwal, founder and CEO of Cvent, sees the convergence… 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