News
Jan 12, 2021
If any destination knows about comebacks, it’s Puerto Rico.
“We have a Pd.D. in recovery,” joked Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico. “We’ve seen this movie before.”
First, it was Zika—that mosquito-bred virus that targets pregnant women and their unborn children. Hurricane Irma then brought its category 5 winds to the island. For good measure, Hurricane Maria brought Puerto Rico to the brink, putting water and electricity in short supply for months. And to think all of that was a warm-up act to what 2020 brought upon the entire world.
Through prior adversities, the island that could… more
Jan 11, 2021
Imagine an event in which attendees are not skittish to touch a surface. While many never gave such a simple movement a second thought before, it will be a point of interest in a post-COVID world.
But a new technology, XTI-360, could put the fear factor back in Pandora’s box. Through nano-coating, seeping into the pores of surfaces, the product kills germs essentially on contact. The company pledges that any product sprayed is safe for up to one year.
“The general idea of this is to substitute technology with human behavior,” explained Joel Hartstone, CEO and chairman of XTI-360. “This… more
Jan 07, 2021
It was a dark and stormy night. The internet connection in Maor Ezer’s Israeli home kicked out only for the senior vice president of marketing at WalkMe to return to a Zoom call via a mobile hotspot.
The scenario speaks to 2020’s challenges and the rewards that can be reaped by those agile enough to quickly adapt from business as usual.
In the case of WalkMe, a digital adoption platform, the decision was to build fast, with company leaders like Ezer believing their product is a solution to challenges that have been amplified during the pandemic.
Conceived when CEO and Co-founder Dan Adika… more
Jan 06, 2021
Since the pandemic took hold in the U.S. last Spring, more and more convention centers have been demonstrating their commitment to protecting health and safety in the “new abnormal” by achieving GBAC STAR, a cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention accreditation program designed for facilities of all types and sizes.
Launched on May 7 by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council, a division of cleaning industry trade association ISSA, the GBAC program establishes requirements addressing work practices, protocols, procedures and systems to control risks associated with infectious… more
Jan 05, 2021
It was like the good old days at Elvis Presley’s Graceland and The Guest House at Graceland resort when Miss USA and Miss Teen USA came to town Nov. 6-9, 2020.
Banquet and front desk staff resumed their old positions, albeit temporarily for preparation and the event, as more than 550 attendees masked up to ensure the country’s marquee beauty pageants went on—not as scheduled, but better late and a little different than normal.
“It was kind of bittersweet,” said Traci Franzone, Graceland’s director of sales and catering, who supervised the three-day extravaganza. “It just shows how much you… more
Jan 05, 2021
Casandra Matej has been tapped as the next president and chief executive officer of Visit Orlando, effective Feb. 1. She assumes the same position she most recently held with Visit San Antonio.
Matej is credited for rethinking the structure of the San Antonio CVB that she served nearly a decade, first as executive director and then as president and CEO. During her tenure, Alamo City achieved record highs in convention sales and marketing programs. She also developed one of the largest tourism ambassador programs in the country—with over 2,000 CTAs brought aboard to ensure memorable visitor… more
Dec 29, 2020
One of the biggest challenges facing event planners as the world reopens are the inconsistencies between states regarding health and safety guidelines. The difference between say Florida and California are worlds apart. Trying to keep it all straight adds to the already stressful job of putting on meetings, conferences and trade shows.
Meetings Mean Business, the industry-wide coalition focused on advocacy, is trying to simplify the learning curve. Its new Meet Safe platform is a portal for event organizers to share recent experiences. A re-opening tracker is another valuable information… more
Dec 28, 2020
Let’s face it: Not everything about meetings is great. But after the way 2020 played out, event professionals are yearning for even the awkward stuff.
Rather than mope about all the good, bad and ugly of face-to-face gatherings we’ve missed, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitor’s Bureau is having some fun with it.
The CVB in December launched a series of short animated episodes, “What We Never Thought We’d Miss About Meetings.” The first three episodes—about 30 seconds each—focus on too much swag, close talkers and (too) late-night networking.
Think of it as “Seinfeld” meets “South… more
Dec 23, 2020
Convention centers across the country are making way for hybrid meetings and events. Renowned facilities looking ahead to 2021 and beyond have repurposed spaces to become virtual studios, complete with state-of-the-art AV equipment for digital and in-person presentations.
“While hybrid meetings are not new in our industry, the demand for them has increased dramatically due to this pandemic, forcing meeting and event planners to make adjustments to their events to continue to address the needs of their members and attendees who will not be ready to travel anytime soon,” said Tim Muldoon,… more
Dec 22, 2020
Shy Coleman, Sales Executive for W Scottsdale, is accustomed to relatively short turnarounds, from groups booking to use the Arizona property to the actual event. Three months lead-time is typical normally.
But the world remains in the “new abnormal” now, particularly in the corporate events industry. Months have turned into weeks, if not days, as corporations wait until as close to a gathering as possible to reserve rooms and event space—to limit the chances of cancelling over a new spike in coronavirus cases.
“It's been a whirlwind of a year,” Coleman said. “I guess that’s the… 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