News

Feb 11, 2019
There’s a new location in Florida for meetings, incentive trips or retreats. Located an hour from Miami International Airport, the 200-room Baker’s Cay Resort Key Largo, Curio Collection by Hilton offers more than 25,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor space. The former Hilton Key Largo, which closed in 2017, has been completely renovated and rebranded to provide a luxury resort experience. All guest rooms feature a private balcony, LCD TVs, mini refrigerators, Illy self-serve coffee makers and eco-conscious custom amenities. Waterfront rooms overlook Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The… more
Feb 08, 2019
The first graduate-level program in the U.S. designed for meeting and event professionals will begin in August. A partnership between San Diego State University’s L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and MPI, the majority of the 18-month program can be completed online, on your own time. The only portion of the program requiring travel is two on-campus weeks in San Diego. Sounds like a pretty great gig, right? Targeted to CMPs and CMMs — as well as those already working in areas like corporate meeting planning, group sales, convention services, destination management… more
Feb 07, 2019
Corporate event marketers are often so busy working that speaking at events falls by the wayside. But not only is speaking a great way to advance your professional career, by bringing visibility to yourself and all you do, it also helps others learn. Even though it requires a little advance planning, and a little more work, it’s worth taking the time to submit at least one session abstract each year. Why not share your knowledge and experience with your peers? The Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA)'s CEMA Summit is one event that is an excellent fit for corporate event marketers… more
Feb 06, 2019
Planners using Streampoint Solutions can now easily extend the software’s functionality with Pathable’s mobile event apps and conference microsites. Conversely, Pathable users now have Streampoint as a stable, more affordable option for additional event management tools. Streampoint provides event management software for the conference, tradeshow and special events community. Pathable is the latest in a growing list of the company’s application programming interface (API) partners, offering a wide range of complementary technology integrations. “We are very excited about the integration… more
Feb 05, 2019
Sustainability and “green” practices are becoming standard for many corporations, driven by both a belief in corporate responsibility and by customer mindset. A recent Nielsen global online survey shows eighty-one percent of respondents feel strongly that companies should help improve the environment. The initial worry that sustainable events would result in higher costs has subsided. In fact, it has been shown that environmentally-friendly events can actually cost less, as they require a more mindful approach to waste reduction. But there is still quite a bit of misperception related to… more
Feb 01, 2019
“Event marketing” is a term that crops up most frequently in the corporate event sector, perhaps because most corporate event planners or event managers sit within a marketing department. But there is some confusion over what exactly event marketing entails. There are many forms of event marketing in the corporate space. It’s not only marketing the event itself, although that is a piece of it. It’s also about how you portray your brand at or within an event and how you engage with your audience. The lines between event planning, event management and event marketing are often blurred. Even… more
Jan 31, 2019
Portland, Ore. is rising to the top of the list for many corporations looking for a new destination for their events. Known for its coffee shops, doughnuts, microbreweries, Powell’s bookstore and men with beards, Portland is the largest city in the state. It’s also known for its parks, being environmentally friendly and for the “Keep Portland Weird” counterculture, lovingly ridiculed in the sketch-comedy television show “Portlandia.” In addition, Portland is home to a growing number of technology companies, including tech giant Amazon, which continues to expand its presence within the city… more
Jan 30, 2019
It’s late; you’ve skipped dinner, again; and the hotel mini bar beckons. What will it be: overpriced potato chips, M&Ms, or maybe both? With a little advance planning, you could have prevented the strike of nighttime hunger — and perhaps a multitude of health issues down the road. While more research is needed on humans to determine whether calories eaten are night are more likely to cause weight gain than the same number of calories consumed during the day (as one study conducted on mice by Northwestern University suggested), there’s no question that making poor eating choices at night… more
Jan 28, 2019
We’ve all been to corporate team building events that brought us closer with colleagues and reinvigorated our teams to work toward our common goals. Then we’ve been to others that fall flat, appearing “lame” or a waste of valuable professional or personal time. When corporations develop team building events, it often falls primarily on the event planner to ensure the experience is positive. Start with the Basics Karla Singson, CEO of PREP - PR, Events and Promotions, says effective team building events have three basic ingredients. “They should be good for fostering teamwork and friendship… more
Jan 25, 2019
The greater Dallas area has a new spot for meetings and conventions: Delta Hotels by Marriott Dallas Allen and Watters Creek Convention Center, which debuted in January. Located 30 minutes north of Dallas and 30 miles from DFW International and Love Field airports, the new facility is the first four-star, full-service hotel and convention center in Allen and one of the largest facilities of its kind in North Texas. With 90,000 square feet of flexible meeting and convention space, the Watters Creek Convention Center can accommodate gatherings of up to 1,000 attendees. It offers 23 meeting… 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