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
As Hurricane Dorian moved over the cold waters of the Labrador Sea and became an extra-tropical storm on Sunday, many communities along the Atlantic are facing the devastation left in its wake.
By far the greatest destruction was in the northern Bahamas, where Dorian planted itself for 48 hours as a monster Category 5 hurricane, obliterating everything in its path and leaving an estimated 70,000 people homeless, according to news reports. So far, the death toll has risen to 45 and is expected to climb as thousands remain missing.
To help with what is expected to be a massive recovery effort… 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
Sep 06, 2019
IACC and the Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management have released a combined research project, “Trends in the Meeting Venue Industry,” which provides insights and predictions on the U.S. conference venues market from a venue perspective.
The report is available in two versions, one that focuses on residential conference venues (venues that offer guest rooms as well as meeting facilities) and the other on non-residential.
Both versions utilize full year 2018 operating data collected from 69 IACC and SHFM member venues in the U.S. and explore a variety of elements including… more
Sep 03, 2019
As Hurricane Dorian ambles its way toward the Southeastern United States, it’s wreaking more havoc on conferences and conventions. Show organizers are taking precautions to protect the safety of those traveling to events — as well as the teams helping to execute them locally — by canceling or postponing those scheduled this week.
In Orlando, Surf Expo and Imprinted Sportswear Show, both slated to take place Sept. 5-7 at Orange County Convention Center, have been canceled. Hotel reservations will be automatically cancelled (with no fees incurred) and attendees were notified via email.
“We… more
Aug 29, 2019
Hurricane Dorian whipped through Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands yesterday, bringing heavy rains and high winds. As a Category 1 storm, it spared much of the main island of Puerto Rico from extensive damage, though islands off the eastern coast were hit harder.
Dorian will continue on its path heading toward the coast of Florida over the weekend through Tuesday. Forecasters are predicting it may grow into a Category 4 hurricane as it moves through warm waters.
With Labor Day weekend upon us, it’s a relatively slow time for meetings and conventions, CVBs report. While poor for business,… more
Aug 19, 2019
Center for Exhibition Industry Research has released two new reports focused on the trade show industry’s latest best practices.
A must-read for first-time exhibitors looking to better understand material handling, Unraveling the Myths About Material Handling provides a comprehensive overview of what material handling is, along with details about what expenses and factors impact charges. It also shares advice on how to plan and send shipments cost-effectively.
Written by Aaron Bludworth, president and CEO of Fern (with contributions by Neil McMullin, senior vice president of Shared Services… more
Aug 16, 2019
When it comes to meetings and conventions hotel bookings, rates are rising: The average daily rate (ADR) for groups is up 1.9 percent compared to 2018. But the higher rates aren’t slowing group bookings down. Those numbers are also trending upwards, with a 0.3 percent increase in committed room nights compared to July 2018.
The transient segment ADR is also up, though only slightly at 0.2 percent; transient business ADR was down 2 percent.
This data was part of findings released by TravelClick, an Amadeus company, in its July 2019 North American Hospitality Review.
“July’s new reservation… more
Partner Voices
Just when it seems like Las Vegas can’t get any bigger, brighter or more exciting for groups, MGM Resorts raises the bar again. The company continues to invest and innovate across its portfolio of Las Vegas resorts, with new attractions and upgraded experiences for attendees of all interests.
Remodeled Guest Rooms
MGM Grand is the largest single hotel in the world with over 5,000 guest rooms and an 850,000-square-foot conference center. It is home to the newly remodeled MGM Grand Studio Tower—700 reimagined guest rooms with a fun mid-century vibe. Nearby, the iconic New York-New York Las more