Jul 13, 2021
When Josh Hotsenpiller developed the idea of a platform launching events into the virtual world, he sought a name that matched what he believed to be an out-of-this-world idea. Juno, the name of a satellite orbiting Jupiter, immediately jumped out.
JUNO, Hotsenpiller’s company, has been firing on all cylinders since launching in mid-2020. Already a successful entrepreneur through CrowdHub and three previous start-ups, Hotsenpiller saw there was space in the ever-evolving events industry to reach a new level of connection. He has not so quietly been building an all-star team to meet the… more
Jul 08, 2021
Cathy Song Novelli joined the popular event technology platform Hubilo as senior vice president of marketing and communications in April. But she is quick to point out that this is “not my first rodeo.”
Based in Silicon Valley, Novelli is rich with experience producing events, enhancing branding and delivering high-level marketing for household-name companies like MySpace and Pandora. So her BS alarm is sparked when she hears companies say platforms create events attendees love. “As a marketer, I take great offense at that,” she said. “Event organizers use all of their creativity to create… more
Jun 28, 2021
In case you thought 2020 was a dream, consider the case of davies + dixon, one of the event industry’s premier digital marketing firms. Since the pandemic took hold in this country, the Seattle-based company has spent more than 400 hours supporting virtual event programming, reaching more than 30,000 attendees.
Co-Founder Kelsey Dixon, an avid traveler, knows the in-person gatherings are coming back strong. She is also sure her organization, along with many others, is hardly through with digital programming. To wit, davies + dixon recently completed a white paper looking ahead to the future… more
Jun 25, 2021
Just because in-person events are returning doesn’t mean technology is going to take a back seat. The past few weeks have been filled with news of mergers, partnerships, innovation and the funding to make it all possible. See how the event tech world is positioning itself for the future of gatherings.
MeetingPlay
Hybrid technology company MeetingPlay has secured $75 million in funding from Sunstone Partners, a growth-oriented private equity firm focused on software and tech-enabled services companies.
The move allows for vast expansion of MeetingPlay’s already impressive capabilities.… more
Jun 23, 2021
If you are looking for a pioneer in event technology, it’s hard to beat Anil Punyapu. The senior vice president of sales at Cvent has been with the event registration and software giant since 2003 – or more than three-quarters of its impressive lifespan. Virtual events are nothing new to Punyapu and Cvent, though no one could quite predict what 2020 would bring to the world and events industry.
With more than a year under our belts, and the worst of the pandemic seemingly over in this country, Punyapu is looking ahead to a future in which technology and meetings are more integrated. “We… more
Jun 15, 2021
Jeff Bzdawka, new CEO of Knowland, talks of three Ps that led him to the industry’s oldest and one of the most respected data-gathering firms. The people and the product are top-notch at Knowland, he feels, but it’s the third, positioning, that uniquely qualifies the former vice president of technology of Hyatt for this role.
Between his leadership roles at Hyatt and tech-travel companies TravelClick and Pegasus, Bzdawka understands how to turn data-driven research into actionable insights. That skillset may be the most valuable commodity in meetings and events as the county emerges from the… more
Jun 09, 2021
Mike Piddock, founder and CEO of Glisser, gets a kick out of watching soccer – or football, as they call it in his native United Kingdom. He’ll go to a few matches per year, but prefers to experience most of the season from the confines of his couch watching the television.
He is hardly unique in this pattern. There are costs, convenience and comfort that factor into when to make the plunge to go to the stadium.
It is Piddock’s belief that the same sorts of decisions sports fans make annually will become the norm for event attendees. Yes, some gatherings will be can’t-miss events. But a… more
Jun 07, 2021
Hyatt Hotels Corporation is going all-in on hybrid with the release of a new meeting and event offering designed to make the return of events as simple as possible for event planners. Launched on April 28, Together by Hyatt comprises a new suite of hybrid event offerings designed to simplify and streamline the event planning and execution process, with attendee safety, technology, support and wellbeing at the forefront.
The new program not only offers planners the chance to take advantage of new resources, capabilities and hybrid solutions, but also provides them with the support, education… more
May 27, 2021
A large majority of events will have a blend of digital and in-person elements this year. Many event professionals expect this to be the case going forward. After that, there is a mix — or dare we say “hybrid?” — of opinions, confusion and certainty, according to a recent Swapcard survey studying hybrid events.
The biggest takeaway is that three-quarters of the 364 respondents say they are planning to have virtual components of their program, but 30% don’t know how to define hybrid events.
In part, that’s because there is not a one-size-fits-all solution to accommodating in-person attendees… more
May 24, 2021
Events and hospitality companies are gearing up for a digital financial future by accepting cryptocurrency as a customer payment option.
Defined as “a digital currency that can be used to buy goods and services, but uses an online ledger with strong cryptography to secure online transactions,” cryptocurrency is more than a speculative investment trend. Mainstream adoption is already here, with major companies including PayPal, Visa and Mastercard jumping on the crypto train.
As hotels, resorts and event-related companies continually seek out opportunities to better serve the needs of their… 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