Nov 06, 2019
Event marketers today are using digital tools to provide better end-to-end experiences. Attendees expect convenience along with accurate, real-time information and crave two-way conversations, says Danielle Puceta, Freeman’s senior vice president of digital.
These are the main drivers for Freeman’s new Explore, Luminate and Fluent digital solutions. The offerings are designed to help event marketers increase and enhance attendee engagement.
Explore by Freeman
Explore is a set of packaged immersive solutions that help brands showcase their products and tell their stories in multisensory,… more
Oct 17, 2019
The focus on sustainability in the world of corporate events will only continue to increase, according to CWT Meetings & Events. In the new M&E Future Trends Report bonus feature, The Future of Sustainable Events, CWT provides insights into the state of the industry and offers tips on how organizations can embed responsible business practices into meetings and events.
“Having a responsible business approach and company culture is ever more important as employees and consumers want to be associated with a brand that reflects their values,” said Ian Cummings, vice president EMEA, CWT… more
Oct 11, 2019
Almost three out of four Americans are unprepared for the October 2020 deadline for full implementation of REAL ID, and millions could be prevented from boarding a plane due to lack of required identification, according to a U.S. Travel Association-commissioned study.
To combat this problem, USTA is leading an initiative by private-sector travel stakeholders to better prepare the country for the REAL ID deadline. The association has developed a toolkit filled with resources for its membership and other allies to help educate Americans about REAL ID and is coordinating engagement with… more
Oct 09, 2019
A sunny late-autumn morning in St. Louis started with a convenient and delicious morning meal of grab-and-go breakfast sandwiches (complemented by Starbucks coffee and cans of Mountain Dew). The room was energetic and filled with conversation before the group of about 300 migrated into the main ballroom to kick off the 2019 Ungerboeck UNITE Conference, which ran Sept. 30-Oct. 3 at Marriott St. Louis Grand.
Emcee Justin Ungerboeck, market communications manager for Ungerboeck Software International — a world leader in event management software — came on stage to set the tone for the day,… more
Oct 04, 2019
For anyone following along with the saga of the first-ever Haute Dokimazo Secret Family Reunion, big news: you no longer need to have attended a Haute Dokimazo event in order to qualify to attend SFR!
The event, which will take place Nov. 2-7, is an immersive learning experience for business, marketing and event professionals. It’s limited to just 80 people, and more than half the slots are already taken.
On Nov. 2, registrants will meet at the TWA Hotel at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, with a suitcase and passport in hand. The first activity on the agenda is the big “reveal” party… more
Oct 03, 2019
Freeman, a provider of live events and brand experiences, has acquired Convention Data Services (CDS), an event registration, business intelligence and lead management company.
Freeman has significantly added to its global event registration and digital services offerings, having also acquired Info Salons in 2018.
“Show organizers are asking for simple, unified and effective ways to create a better experience for their teams and attendees around the world,” said Bob Priest-Heck, CEO of Freeman.
He added, “The addition of CDS to Freeman’s suite of digital tools and services creates a… more
Sep 27, 2019
Together with research partner Oxford Economics, three industry organizations — Society for Incentive Travel Excellence, Incentive Research Foundation, and Financial and Insurance Conference Professionals — released the second annual Incentive Travel Industry Index this month.
Known as the largest-ever survey undertaken on the incentive travel industry, the 2019 edition includes data collected from 2,600 submissions from more than 100 destinations around the world. This number is almost triple the submissions received in 2018, said Didier Scaillet, CEO of SITE.
“Almost half of all responses… more
Sep 20, 2019
Last year, Cori Dossett, president of Conferences Designed based in Dallas, spent two weeks in New Zealand. It was meant to be a holiday, but despite being 7,500 miles from home, it didn’t feel like one.
“I literally worked half the vacation — some days I did not leave my hotel room,” recalls Dossett. “It was unfortunate and sad in so many ways.”
This meeting planner’s experience is relatable on many levels. It’s hard to take time away from work in this industry, and even more so when you’re the boss. As a self-employed small business owner, Dossett says she has freedom to take as much… more
Sep 16, 2019
If you were flying home from Las Vegas last week, there’s a good chance you were seated next to a fellow IMEX attendee. This year’s IMEX America, held at Sands Expo and Convention Center from Sept. 10-12, drew an estimated 14,000 attendees and generated an economic impact of more than $20 million, according to show officials.
Held in Las Vegas for nine years now, IMEX included more than 3,500 exhibitors from 150 countries on the trade showfloor. IMEX Group, which organizes the show, estimates a total of 76,000 individual and group appointments took place over the three-day event. That marks… more
Sep 09, 2019
New York, San Francisco and Chicago top the list of the best North American cities for events in 2020, according to a new ranking released by CWT M&E, the global meetings and events division of CWT.
The list was created based on CWT’s volume of business and booking trends, including a combination of requested cities, awarded RFPs and business value.
Each of the three top cities moved up in the ranking from last year, and several cities were brand new to the list, including Atlanta, Toronto and San Diego (which took the No. 4, 5 and 6 spots, respectively). The No. 1 ranked city for 2019… 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