News
Nov 22, 2022
Destinations International, the world’s largest resource for official destination organizations, convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and tourism boards, recently unveiled its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) pilot program, “Tourism for All.” Announced at the 2022 Destinations International Advocacy Summit, held Oct. 26-28 in Bloomington, Minn., the new initiative is designed to support CVBs in being more inclusive, welcoming and accessible to prospective visitors and tourism businesses.
Launched in partnership with the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau in… more
Nov 21, 2022
Like many major convention centers across the U.S., Huntington Place is making public safety and security a top priority. On Nov. 4, the downtown Detroit venue rolled out its enhanced public safety and security measures with an all-staff Venue Safety and Security Training offered by the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), which provides innovative safety and security guidelines and training to assist venues and their executive teams in managing and prioritizing the protection of all life safety and physical assets.
“Safety is one of the top concerns for meeting planners and… more
Nov 18, 2022
Collaboration, commitment and consistency emerged as key themes, as a comprehensive roadmap for the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative was announced at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP27, held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, Nov. 6-18.
The ambitious initiative, launched in 2021 through an alliance between the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) and the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), is the events industry’s global campaign to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and the new roadmap outlines exactly how the industry can achieve the goal.
Supported by… more
Nov 17, 2022
While the events industry is bouncing back, the residual effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing challenges event professionals are facing continue to take a toll on their mental health and well-being. To lend a helping hand to those in need, Event Relief 2022, an 11-hour virtual event, will take place on Nov. 29 to raise essential funds for three event industry charities: EventWell, Make It Blue and Meeting Needs.
Founded and led by event professional Dan Assor, creator of The Dan Assor Podcast, the event aims to address one of the biggest obstacles event professionals are… more
Nov 15, 2022
Events are always evolving. Whether through the twists and turns of pandemics, or highs and lows of the latest event tech, events are a constant rollercoaster. No surprise that a huge goal of event marketers and planners is to make sure their event rollercoaster has the longest line of people waiting to ride their experience.
One event format, however, is constantly struggling to get up those hills to provide a thrill at the summit: webinars. They’re a necessity for just about every business, yet hosts and attendees alike find them to be a bit of a slog compared to other types of events they… more
Nov 15, 2022
While the job market may be cooling off across the nation, the meetings and events industry appears to be keeping steady as venues, tourism agencies, event tech companies and more continue attracting new talent, promoting staff and expanding their leadership teams.
Events DC
Events DC has chosen Angie M. Gates as its new president and CEO. Starting Nov. 14, Gates will guide the organization tasked with generating economic and community benefits for D.C. residents and businesses through impactful events. A 20-year veteran in event management, entertainment, film and public service with… more
Nov 14, 2022
Understanding how to design events that are welcoming and inclusive for attendees with disabilities has become essential for today’s event planners. According to Forbes Magazine, the disability community is larger than the size of China, with 1.85 billion people, and if you add in their friends, family and caregivers, that adds up to an additional 3.4 billion people.
But creating in-person or virtual experiences that are inviting and accessible for everyone can be a challenge for many event organizers, planners and producers, who may lack the knowledge, tools and strategies to do so. … more
Nov 11, 2022
Bizzabo, the Event Experience Operating System (OS), unveiled Klik Experiential, featuring SmartBadge™ wearable onsite technology that empowers event professionals to deliver enhanced experiences for attendees and exhibitors while capturing insightful behavioral data.
The new technology is designed to build upon Bizzabo’s wide range of in-person solutions for registration, check-in and lead retrieval, as the company has seen an increase of 724% in the number of in-person events on its platform between January and September of this year. Looking ahead, 85% of event organizers plan to host at… more
Nov 10, 2022
Visit Orlando and Orlando Economic Partnership, the economic and community development organization for the region, have teamed up to create a campaign targeting the meetings and conventions market.
“With Visit Orlando and Orlando Economic Partnership collaborating, we can connect with all our target audiences through a consistent brand message,” said Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando. “'Unbelievably Real' combines what is both fantastical and authentic about our unique destination to tell a holistic story to leisure visitors. meeting planners and site selectors.”
The… more
Nov 08, 2022
Ask Kerry Painter about her celebrated career in the events industry and she will tell you she can’t imagine doing anything else with her life. As the director and general manager of the Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex in Raleigh, N.C., Painter is responsible for overseeing three downtown venues: Raleigh Convention Center, Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts and Red Hat Amphitheater, as well as the nearby Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek.
As if that’s not enough to keep her busy, the award-winning venue professional also serves as the first vice-chair of… 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