News

Jul 25, 2024
At the recent X4: The Experience Management Summit, the annual Qualtrics user event attracted 10,000 experience management (XM) professionals to the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.  With more than 18,000 organizations around the world using its platform to listen, understand, and take action on experience data, Qualtrics brought together its customer and prospect base, top corporate brass and headline speakers for three days to discuss best practices and innovations on managing and improving the customer, employee, product, and brand experience. "X4 is a can't-miss event… more
Jul 24, 2024
The Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) got the green light to move forward with its Convention Center Expansion and Modernization Project, which is now expected to move forward in the spring of 2025. On July 2, the Los Angeles City Council voted to advance the project, which is expected to create thousands of jobs for city residents, attract visitors, and bring new revenue to the City’s General Fund, according to LACC officials. Plans include new construction that will connect the LACC’s two existing South and West Exhibit Halls by adding 190,000 square feet of space to create one… more
Jul 23, 2024
PCMA and the Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe (SANCBE) are gearing up to launch Convene 4 Climate, a sustainability conference for the global business events industry. Set for Oct. 2-3 in Barcelona, the inaugural gathering is open to select participation in a workshop-based environment and aims to drive responsibility, harness the power of technology, and deliver transformative solutions to address climate change challenges.  The big picture: Convene 4 Climate’s curated programming will explore three central themes–Reimagine, Inspire, and Movement–and allow for… more
Jul 22, 2024
A Tapestry Collection by Hilton property recently joined a DoubleTree hotel to form a 452-room complex along the Grand Strand coastline in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Managed by Pyramid Global Hospitality, the dual property offers 38,000 square feet of event space, larger and enhanced communal areas, onsite restaurants, pools, waterslides, and direct beach access. The 238-room Ellie Beach Resort, Tapestry Collection by Hilton and the 214-room DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Myrtle Beach joined forces in June to become the Springmaid Beach Resort.  The Ellie Beach Resort Myrtle Beach, Tapestry by… more
Jul 19, 2024
During planning of the 2023 edition of RiskWorld, the annual show of the Risk and Insurance Management Society, the group’s chief events and sales officer, Stuart Ruff-Lyon, CMP, DES, faced an unusual complication.  Over the event’s late-April dates at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Taylor Swift would be performing for three consecutive nights at the Mercedes-Benz Dome right next door. That translates to 80,000 revelers on the move each day, right across the parking lot from the GWCC. As a result, “we implemented a lot of new safety and security enhancements, such as training… more
Jul 18, 2024
Want your attendees to feel good vibrations at your next corporate event? A sound bath—an ancient healing practice that's now trending big time throughout the U.S.—is one way to boost positive vibes, fostering a sense of community and social connection into a corporate event.  Before this spring, I had never participated in a sound bath, and I have to admit I was somewhat skeptical of the benefits but also curious about the craze that celebrities like Brad Pitt are using to launch new product lines instead of a traditional preview. How it works: Typically, a sound bath involves lying in a… more
Jul 16, 2024
To address the meetings and events industry’s gender gap in leadership roles and equitable pay, talent platform Soundings recently launched Soundings Elevate, a new customized career coaching service created to help elevate the careers of business event professionals. “I am deeply passionate about advancing the careers of women, not only as a female founder and business owner who has navigated these challenges but also as a leader who believes in the transformative power of diversity and inclusion for driving equity, innovation, and collective business success,” said Tracy Judge, founder and… more
Jul 15, 2024
Four convention centers across the U.S. are upping their game with new staff and labor training offerings, renovation projects, extended partnerships and property enhancements to improve the event experience for corporate meeting and event guests and clients. Unions and Management Unite To Debut Trade Show Training Center in Philadelphia To provide its staff and labor partners with training and skill-building in safety, technical skills development, customer service and hospitality, the Pennsylvania Convention Center (PCC) in Philadelphia has launched an onsite training center with a… more
Jul 11, 2024
What’s trending in corporate events from the third-party planner perspective? Microdosing content, bespoke experiences and renting with cause, said MCI Group Vice President Corporate Agnès Canonica (AC), who produces internal and external events for corporate clients across diverse industries, including healthcare, technology, financial and automotive. MCI Group, which touts itself as a global next-gen platform for marketing innovation and breakthrough communication in the digital age, has 1,650 employees across offices in 60 countries, according to its website. The 35-year-old global… more
Jul 10, 2024
Since the Sphere opened in Las Vegas in September 2023, the experiential venue has played host to A-listers like U2, Dead & Company, John Mayer, and Bobby Weir. In June, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) CEO Antonio Neri took the stage, making HPE Discover the first corporate event to host its keynote at the now iconic global entertainment venue. When describing the keynote, Forbes simply said, “Wow.”  Big picture: Held June 17-20 at the Venetian Convention and Expo Center, Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s 2024 annual showcase technology event featured 200-plus HPE-specific tech… 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