News
Apr 08, 2022
Bizzabo, the Event Experience Operating System (OS), unveiled the Global Event Center of Excellence, a dedicated division providing event expertise, education and resources for event professionals. The division will curate and share best practices and big picture insights via events, webinars, workshops, templates, tool kits and other pieces of content.
The aim of the new center is to help event professionals, regardless of experience level, excel by offering the training and knowledge they need to orchestrate exceptional, best-in-class event experiences, according to Devin Cleary, vice… more
Apr 07, 2022
Hotels and event-related organizations throughout the country are scooping up new team members and elevating executives as the hiring frenzy across the events and hospitality industries continues unabated. Check them out!
Visit Seattle
Following a nationwide search, Visit Seattle and its board of directors have tapped hospitality veteran Tammy Blount-Canavan to be its president and CEO, starting May 9. As Visit Seattle’s first female CEO, she replaces 15-year leader Tom Norwalk, who retired earlier this spring.
With a rich leadership history spanning two countries and three decades,… more
Apr 06, 2022
Sherrif Karamat is a life-long learner with an impressive list of credentials—an MBA and post-graduate certificates in business, management, strategic negotiations, data intelligence and big data, to name a few. But some of his greatest lessons—personally and professionally—have come over the past two years of the pandemic.
Capitalizing on those lessons is one of his top priorities as he guides the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and its members in successfully moving forward in the evolving events environment.
Reinvention is key, according to Karamat.
“Our industry… more
Apr 06, 2022
Every year, members leave your organization – they change jobs or professions, go out of business, retire, or just leave because they found a better alternative. That makes adding and retaining members to your association a top priority and a never-ending project. Let’s look at some reasons why your members might be going out the back door, and how you must keep new ones coming in the front.
Your association benefits are unclear
While obvious to you, oftentimes, the benefits your organization offers aren’t clear to your potential and current members. Prospects need the benefits delivered in… more
Apr 04, 2022
At its Annual Meeting at the Duke Energy Convention Center on March 25, the Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau unveiled a new brand identity and announced several key growth initiatives to an audience of 400 business professionals, civic leaders and members of the regional hospitality industry.
The 75-year-old destination marketing organization’s new name is “Visit Cincy,” created to better align with the CVB’s sales and marketing efforts, as well as its regional collaboration with meetNKY, the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau, to reach key markets for tourism,… more
Apr 01, 2022
Liz King Caruso never thought she could make a living planning events—she thought it was just something fun to do. That was until she took a job as an administrator at her university.
“I realized I was the admin for the event team and that I had just wasted a lot of money on a psychology degree,” she said. “I learned a lot at my first job and started the twitter account @lizkingevents just to learn more about the industry.”
Before long, she started getting client inquiries and kept turning them away since she wasn't an official business, but finally took the leap and decided to start her… more
Mar 31, 2022
After two challenging years, there’s no doubt that the meetings and events industry could use an industry-wide celebration to commemorate and honor the return of in-person experiences. And what better way to celebrate the industry’s renaissance than by joining Meeting Professional International (MPI)’s fifth annual Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID): Virtual Experience, broadcasting live April 7 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. CDT.
As an annual international day of advocacy that shines a light on the positive impact that conferences, conventions and trade shows have on people, businesses and the… more
Mar 29, 2022
Global Experience Specialists (GES), a leading global provider of exhibition services, brand experiences and live event services, debuted Spiro, an integrated marketing solutions agency that aims to deliver uniquely elevated experiences for the new era of events, including virtual, hybrid and in-person formats.
“The past two years have reinforced the critical value of events and experiences in connecting people,” said Jeff Stelmach, global president of Spiro. “[Today], it’s not about meeting people with similar interests in a single location—it’s about people with similar interests meeting… more
Mar 28, 2022
Hotels and resorts across the country are continuing to grow and renovate their meeting space inventory as the events industry continues to pick up steam. Take a look!
Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk
The Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk recently debuted a new open-air rooftop event space ideal for social events, weddings and intimate gatherings. Dubbed Terrace on 5th, the 6,500-square-foot, sophisticated rooftop venue features an urban oasis ambiance with a spacious lawn and sweeping views of downtown San Antonio.
In addition to the new green space, the 1,003-room hotel,… more
Mar 25, 2022
He's worked alongside some of the world’s top chefs, but Eric Vaughn’s fondest culinary memories are of his childhood, creating delicious Sunday meals with his parents and sister and learning how to bake with his grandmother.
“It was our family tradition, and we learned a lot, especially how much fun we were having together discovering new dishes and ingredients,” he said. “It was the start of my fascination with food, touching it and seeing how it was affected by heat, and working with some of the most unique things I had ever seen food-wise—cooking things like chicken strudel with phyllo… 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