News
Jul 23, 2020
The Corporate Event Marketing Association had planned on providing attendees with a true Nashville experience as part of CEMA Summit 2020, which was to be held July 27-28 at JW Marriott Nashville. When the pandemic nixed a live gathering, organizers decided to incorporate the sights and sounds — and even tastes — into its now-virtual summit as part of its “Bringing Nashville to You” experience for attendees
In addition to creating a multimedia Music City theme on the conference home page, CEMA sent some of the city’s culinary treasures to attendees. That took the form of a gift box put… more
Jul 21, 2020
Event and tourism industry professionals aren’t about to sit out this pandemic, as evidenced by the number of meetings, webinars and conventions taking place virtually these past few months. Among these key industry events is Destinations International’s Annual Convention, which was held virtually for the first time July 14-15.
With a record attendance of 3,024 attendees from 14 countries, the global destinations industry gathering featured a packed agenda offering more than 20 educational sessions designed to inform and inspire. Keynote presentations were made by Author Mitch Albom, U.S.… more
Jul 20, 2020
PCMA last week released “Business Events Compass,” an actionable framework of insights and strategies for business event professionals and their business partners to guide their careers and businesses during the pandemic and beyond.
The PCMA Foundation-funded service and inaugural report provides research-based insights on geographic and industry sector business events recovery opportunities, as well as recommendations for the evolution of participant engagement, business models and expected reskilling needs.
“In the spring I stated that our industry needs to be a part of the solution and… more
Jul 17, 2020
Held July 14-15, EventWell Digital Summit 2020 — the first mental health and wellbeing summit designed specifically for the event industry — went really well, according to Helen Moon, CEO and founder of London-based EventWell, which organized the event. Moon says feedback from attendees and speakers has been wonderful, and that she saw consistent engagement through the Q&A portions of the event.
“People stayed with us right to the end,” says Moon. “That’s a great marker in terms of how well an event has gone, especially digitally as it is much easier for people to switch off.”
The two-… more
Jul 15, 2020
Orange County Convention Center in Orlando is getting back to business safely by welcoming a trade show and conference designed to help the live events industry do the same.
Set for July 24, the Together Again Expo will offer attendees and suppliers the opportunity to learn about new industry best practices, strategies and tools for safely and responsibly reopening live events, conventions and trade shows.
A collaboration between the OCCC and Alliance Nationwide Exposition, a nationwide general services contractor, the face-to-face event is open to all event professionals and suppliers… more
Jul 14, 2020
As exhibitions and events grapple with how they are going to lay out their exhibit floors, meeting rooms and banquet areas, The Expo Group released a Crowd Density Calculator that can be used by anyone seeking to better understand their attendee-to-square-footage capacity.
A free widget also has made available to the industry.
“As we start moving forward together with industry guidelines, our team saw an opportunity to ease the way for others in the industry with these online calculators,” said Randy Pekowski, The Expo Group’s president and COO.
He added, “We invite everyone to try it out… more
Jul 13, 2020
The road back to hosting live events is hitting speed bumps, according to a recent survey conducted by New York City-based Engine Insights. The findings of its July 5 “Pulse of the Consumer & COVID-19” found the surge in cases of the coronavirus continues to impact people’s willingness to attend events — with just 15 percent of those polled indicating they would be willing to attend a large scale indoor event such as a convention or concert.
“With more than 80 percent of Americans concerned about the recent spike in coronavirus infections and more than three-quarters of the opinion that… more
Jul 10, 2020
The immediate impact of COVID-19 has been dramatic for the meetings and events industry. However, a new international survey of 500 senior B2B marketers conducted by Space Global Strategy, a London-based strategy and M&A advisory firm, shows there is light at the end of the tunnel.
While B2B events spend in Q2 2020 was down 80 percent year over year, most marketers expect initial re-engagement with events to be feasible within the next three to four months (albeit with restrictions), according to survey results. Marketers from China and Italy were most optimistic about a quick re-opening… more
Jul 09, 2020
“We’re ready to welcome you back safely, when you’re ready,” reads the new tagline on the Mohegan Sun website. The resort and convention complex in Uncasville, Connecticut, began reopening in phases on June 1 and welcomed its first meeting last week.
The measured reopening of the 5.5 million-square-foot property followed the implementation of many new health and safety protocols in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Guidance for these came from a variety of sources: the CDC; Connecticut State Department of Health; and the Chief Medical Officer and Tribal Health Department of the Mohegan… more
Jul 07, 2020
Although the travel restrictions and continued fear surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a rise in virtual events, the desire for face-to-face meetings and incentives has not decreased. This is among the key findings from the Q2 Meetings & Events Pulse Survey recently conducted by Global DMC Partners (GDP).
While 97 percent of the nearly 400 meeting planners surveyed responded that their 2020 and 2021 programs had been impacted by COVID-19, 64 percent predicted they would host a live event between August 2020 and January 2021. The planners reported that the general fear of COVID… 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