News

Aug 27, 2018
Springfield, Mass. has a rich history of innovation. From Webster’s (now Merriam-Webster’s) dictionary to the first American gasoline-powered automobile to basketball, the city has spawned numerous inventions during its 375-year history — in fact, its nickname is “The City of Firsts.” Now, the city has another first to add to the books, with the opening of the state’s first resort and casino. MGM Springfield ushers in a new era for Massachusetts, not too long ago a state with blue laws prohibiting the sale of alcohol on Sundays. The 250-room MGM Springfield takes up three city blocks in… more
Aug 24, 2018
Hyatt Regency Zhenjiang, in East China’s Jiangsu province, opened in late July. The 318-room hotel is located atop the East Tower of Suning Plaza, the highest skyscraper in Zhenjiang. “We are very excited to welcome guests and the local community to our new hotel,” said general manager Irwin Bao. “With a prime location, fantastic views, premier meeting facilities and intuitive service, we are confident that Hyatt Regency Zhenjiang will provide one-stop convenience to guests during their travels.” Hyatt Regency Zhenjiang’s guest rooms are located on the 59th to 76th floors. Guest rooms… more
Aug 23, 2018
Event success cloud solution Bizzabo has launched a next-generation agenda feature for conferences and events designed to help event organizers create attendee-facing agenda experiences that boost audience engagement, increase discoverability of sessions and speakers, and provide actionable insights for marketers to maximize event success. “In-person events have continued to scale at an increasing rate over the past year,” said Eran Ben-Shushan, co-founder and CEO of Bizzabo, which provides marketers with a modern suite of tools designed to create more impactful and rewarding events. He… more
Aug 22, 2018
The fifth annual Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) and Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Global Travel Forecast was released in late July.  According to the report, travel prices are expected to rise sharply in 2019 — something planners should be aware of when contracting hotels and planning for travel. Globally, hotel prices are expected to rise by 3.7 percent and flights by 2.6 percent. In North America, hotel prices will go up 2.1 percent – 5 percent in Canada and 2.7 percent in the United States. The report states that airfares are likely to become more expensive due to rising in… more
Aug 20, 2018
Dual-branded hotels are becoming more and more prevalent. What can beat a dual-brand? A triple brand! Hilton has made new advances in the market, opening the world’s first tri-branded Hilton in Chicago. The new property, which includes Hilton Garden Inn Chicago McCormick Place, Hampton Inn by Hilton Chicago McCormick Place and Home2 Suites by Hilton Chicago McCormick Place, is connected to McCormick Place, adjacent to Wintrust Arena. Located just minutes from downtown Chicago, McCormick Place is North America’s largest convention center, featuring 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space… more
Aug 17, 2018
The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) has released its second and third fact sheets in its 2018 Attendee ROI Playbook series, a multiple fact sheet series that identifies general attendee practices and insights on differences by specific attendee categories. Released late last month, “Fact Sheet Two: B2B Exhibitions Top-Ranked for Value in Meeting Business Information & Purchasing Decision Needs” explores the range of sources that business professionals who attend B2B exhibitions relied upon to meet their business information and purchasing decision needs in comparison to… more
Aug 16, 2018
If you’ve ever received an online invitation to an event, chances are high it was created using Evite. Now, corporate event planners can also use the invitation service to design, send and manage invitations to professional events. For corporations that host a number of small, by-invitation-only events such as breakfasts, dinners, receptions or outings, Evite’s new service can help streamline the process. Evite was launched in 1998, and has grown to become the market leader in the field of online invitation services. The company’s free, easy-to-use invitation designs and a private sharing… more
Aug 14, 2018
The 10,000-square-foot Madison Meeting Center at Park MGM is a new breed of Las Vegas event space: a self-contained executive meeting center designed for small groups. MGM Resorts says that the majority of their convention business is groups with 100 or fewer guest rooms. But traditionally, Las Vegas meeting space is rented using a model designed for larger groups. MGM aims to change that with the Madison Meeting Center, which opened in late July.  The center can accommodate groups of 10-50 attendees within its 10 flexible meeting rooms.  Meeting rooms come with ergonomic moveable furniture… more
Aug 13, 2018
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) has published its Summer 2018 Meetings Outlook report. The Meetings Outlook series, which presents industry trends and predictions from MPI members, is developed in partnership with MGM Resorts International and supported in partnership with the IMEX Group. The 2018 Summer report identifies trends including increased complexity in contracts and negotiation, particularly around attrition clauses. As alternative housing services such as Airbnb and usage of hotel pricing comparison sites such as Trivago grow, it becomes more and more difficult to keep… more
Aug 10, 2018
New York’s Emerson Resort & Spa has completed a $500,000 renovation of its 2,500-square-foot Catamount event space. The property, located just two hours from Manhattan, offers panoramic views of the surrounding Catskill Mountains — plus the world’s largest kaleidoscope. The space is available for events ranging from weddings to corporate retreats. The Catamount, which also includes a 200-square-foot outdoor deck, can accommodate up to 100 guests. The space offers a variety of seating areas, landscape artwork and a natural cork wall covering to evoke the feeling of a birch canopy.… 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