News
Mar 30, 2018
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) has selected Grapevine, Texas, as the destination for its World Education Congress (WEC) in 2020.
The association will collaborate with the Grapevine Convention and Visitors Bureau to host the conference, which is scheduled for June 6–9, 2020, at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center.
Grapevine is centrally located between Fort Worth and Dallas, where MPI is headquartered.
WEC is MPI’s signature event through which it delivers premier education, business and networking opportunities in North America.
It attracts more than 2,000 attendees… more
Mar 28, 2018
Connect Marketing, a division of Connect (a Tarsus Group company), has acquired the eTourism Summit from North American Journeys, Inc.
Founded in 2000, eTourism Summit is the leading event and community that connects destination marketing professionals with best practices and innovations in digital media.
Connect Marketing’s mission is to connect marketers with the products, services, people and ideas necessary to thrive in a rapidly evolving and highly competitive global marketplace. The acquisition of eTourism Summit supports this growing mission.
The restricted attendance format of the… more
Mar 28, 2018
There are a number of events and activities taking place globally to celebrate Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) on Apr. 12. However, many event professionals won’t have the ability to attend these face-to-face events. To help bring the celebration to you, Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and the Meetings Mean Business Coalition (MMBC) are collaborating to present a free, 12-hour livestream of GMID events taking place around the world.
The GMID Virtual Event will begin at 6 a.m. CDT on Thursday, Apr. 12 and will conclude at 6 p.m. CDT. This inaugural broadcast is designed to… more
Mar 27, 2018
The Association for Women in Events (AWE), a not-for-profit organization supporting gender equality and diversity in the event industry, has launched 2018 nominations for its Hall of Fame Recognition Program, hosted by the AWE Awards Committee.
“Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a lifetime honor,” said Marie-Claire Andrews, AWE board member and chair of the AWE Awards Committee. “It doesn’t begin and end with a simple recognition, rather our winners will be part of our community and celebrated long-term!”
This is the program’s second year. See 2017 inductees here.
The AWE Hall of… more
Mar 27, 2018
Corporate events are all about brand experiences. However, it isn’t always easy to design a memorable, immersive experience that connects your attendees with your brand.
Helios Interactive, a Freeman Company, is an experience design studio that specializes in building engaging, interactive experiences for consumers in the events and retail channels. One of the ways they deliver these experiences is through augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR).
I attended a session at MPINCC ACE last month in which Demetrius Wren, digital creative director at Helios, explained… more
Mar 26, 2018
When a top leader makes his grand entrance to Walk the Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance with Me,” you know it’s going to be a fun conference. Indeed, Chris Cahill, CEO of luxury brands for AccorHotels, set the stage for a creative four days of meetings, talks and workshops at the brand’s seventh annual Global Meetings Exchange (GME), held Feb. 28-Mar. 3 in Montreal.
It was the first time the event has been held in North America, and to some meeting planners and media in attendance, their first in-depth exposure to the brand. Meetings managers who primarily coordinate domestic events may be… more
Mar 22, 2018
April 12 marks Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) 2018. GMID is a day for event professionals to celebrate the industry and reflect on the positive impact that meetings and events have – not just for business, but also for communities and individuals.
The GMID 2018 slogan is “Real results, real impact, all around the world,” and in this spirit, leaders from across the industry are coming together to host and attend events that honor the power of face-to-face meetings.
In 2016, the community came together to crowdsource lyrics for a GMID anthem. In 2017, the team at SongDivision put… more
Mar 21, 2018
A recent industry-wide survey from iJET International showed a lower-than-expected focus on preparedness around meetings and events. The resulting report reveals that most organizations and companies in this space are not meeting minimum standards of risk management protocols for attendees.
The survey was sent to approximately 6,000 meeting planners, meeting planning companies, and meeting and event decision-makers from corporations, iJET stated. More than 400 responses were received.
Key findings include:
Of the 64 percent of respondents currently with a business travel risk management… more
Mar 20, 2018
In 2017, Canada earned three of the top five spots in The Economist’s list of most livable cities worldwide. Many event planners are familiar with Vancouver and Toronto but are perhaps less familiar with the third city named to the list: Calgary.
Calgary sits in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, near arguably some of the best skiing in the world. It has become a technology hub, housing more tech start-ups than any other Canadian city. It’s also gaining traction as a destination for business conventions and events.
The largest event venue in Calgary is the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre… more
Mar 19, 2018
A new research report on “The Rise of Midsize Cities in the Meetings Industry” in North America and Europe, commissioned by the IMEX Group and developed by Skift, examines how some midsize cities have positioned themselves as hubs for innovation or knowledge.
The 44-page report covers how smaller cities have elevated their destination appeal through leveraging their local economies, tapping into innovation and developing multi-partner coalitions and new experiences designed to attract meeting and convention groups.
The report claims that two primary factors are driving the shift towards mid… 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