News

Dec 05, 2018
Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE)  has added two MICE industry veterans to their management team. Tahira Endean, CMP, DES, CED has been named Head of Events starting immediately, and Jennifer Juergens will assume the role of Director, Industry & Media Relations on Jan. 1, 2019. Endean brings three decades of diverse event management experience to SITE. Most recently she was event producer for the #BCTECH Summit, during which time she authored and published her first book, "Intentional Event Design: our Professional Opportunity." Endean is replacing Tina Gaccetta who has… more
Dec 03, 2018
We all know that the preferred place to gather is in the kitchen. We eat, talk, learn and connect in this favorite spot. The Omni Montelucia in Scottsdale captures the true essence of this connection in their Chef’s Kitchen Dinner Series — a monthly intimate gathering of up to 20 participants. “Here at Omni Montelucia, we wanted to bring the concept of an intimate gathering to our resort, where there is an opportunity to learn, eat well, and introduce new foods and cocktails to fellow participants,” said Patrick Brophy, General Manager at Omni Montelucia. He added, “Our Chef’s Kitchen was… more
Nov 30, 2018
The winners of the IBTM World 2018 Tech Watch Awards were announced at the IBTM World event in Barcelona this week. Zenus and Fielddrive were the joint recipients of the Tech Watch Award, while Kubify took home the inaugural “People’s Choice” award for its Learning Toolbox. A panel of well-known industry experts selected Zenus and Fielddrive for their pioneering and impactful work in bringing facial recognition software to the events industry. “Zenus is the creator of the software, and Fielddrive has been a significant implementor of the product by exploring and measuring the onsite best… more
Nov 28, 2018
Hannover, Germany-based mega-show CEBIT, which was focused on computers and in its height attracted up to 1 million attendees, will no longer exist as a standalone event, according to Deutsche Messe officials. Deutsche Messe is streamlining its event portfolio and will integrate CEBIT's industry-related topics into the HANNOVER MESSE event, while also developing additional CEBIT topics into specialist events for decision-makers from vertical industries. Deutsche Messe will cancel CEBIT 2019 because of declining visitor numbers and a continuing reduction in exhibitor bookings. The event was… more
Nov 28, 2018
As the desire for sustainable meetings grows, so does the desire for sustainable cities in which to hold them. The city of Brussels, Belgium was ranked ninth in the 2009 European Green City Index, and now, a decade later, the city is well on its way towards its goal of becoming the “Green city of Europe” by 2024. “As Europe’s leading terminal for international high-speed trains, Brussels is becoming a greener place to meet,” said Elisabeth Van Ingelgem, director, convention & association bureau at visit.brussels. She added, “The city was voted the number one sustainable city in Europe… more
Nov 27, 2018
Events are mirrors of the organizations and industries they serve, reflecting their values and priorities. Therefore, it’s no surprise that green initiatives have flooded the event industry as more and more companies include sustainability goals and practices in their missions. And just as sustainable practices can be good for business, reducing costs and potentially raising customer loyalty, for example; they can be great for events for many of the same reasons. Britt Zarling, vice president, corporate communications at Fiserv, notes that the company’s corporate values apply to all areas of… more
Nov 26, 2018
Indianapolis is no stranger to convention business. USA Today’s top ranked convention city, Indy already has a robust infrastructure in place to support large events. But the city is aiming for even bigger and even better, with new plans for significant expansion. The Indiana Convention Center already boasts 12 connected properties and 4,700 connected rooms. But last month, an expansion project was green-lighted that will include adding a 50,000 square foot convention center ballroom — the largest in the state — and two new hotel towers connected to the Convention Center.   This will be the… more
Nov 22, 2018
IBTM World’s goal is to bring together and connect people from across the global meetings industry to create better business results. With more than 15,000 attendees expected and a reported record-setting 77,651 pre-booked business meetings — a five percent increase from last year’s event — the event is well on its way. There will be a large infusion of new blood at IBTM World 2018. More than half of this year’s hosted buyers are first time participants, and 50 percent of the hosted buyers overall have had no previous experience with the IBTM portfolio. Twenty percent of the hosted buyers… more
Nov 21, 2018
There’s a new component in IMS Technology Services’ IMS Concierge suite, and it’s designed to encourage audience participation and increase engagement — in real time. The newly launched IMS 2nd Screen, powered by Glisser, is an integrated platform that includes presentation software, an audience response system and event analytics. The audience participation app shares slides to personal devices and uses audience interaction to provide analytics that can help planners and presenters improve the attendee experience. “We understand that content is the core of all meetings and the more… more
Nov 19, 2018
Julia Spangler’s website urges people to make sustainability a part of their events’ success stories. Spangler is a sustainable events consultant and speaker specializing in waste diversion and zero waste events. Her services include green events, green weddings and helping venues become more sustainable. She also recently launched an online course, “How to Plan Zero Waste Events,” that teaches event organizers how to keep waste out of the landfill, improve guest satisfaction and achieve zero-waste results. I met Spangler at the ILEA Live conference, where she was presenting a breakout… 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