News

Jun 29, 2023
Located near the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park about 50 miles west of the Asheville Regional Airport, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in North Carolina opened the Cherokee Convention Center in 2021, adding 85,000 square feet of exhibition and meeting space. Owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Harrah’s Cherokee is managed by Caesars Entertainment.  In May, Corporate Event News joined Caesars Entertainment for a trip to the property to find out what Harrah’s Cherokee has to offer corporate event planners. Here are some of the highlights in this photo recap. A… more
Jun 27, 2023
As event organizers look to further boost revenue during an economic downturn, they are increasingly relying on pre-scheduled meetings to create more valuable and impactful interactions at gatherings, according to the recently released B2B Relationships Report by DAHLIA+Agency and AI-powered event platform Grip. The two entities collaborated on the research in an effort to understand the reasons for the surge in demand for pre-scheduled meetings, including the event software to power them. The report examines the findings from its survey and one-to-one interviews and defines a new four-step… more
Jun 26, 2023
On June 15, the uniquely luxurious Hôtel Swexan opened its doors in the heart of Dallas’ popular Harwood District, a flourishing walkable art, entertainment and culinary neighborhood. Fusing its Swiss heritage with Texas hospitality, the 134-room boutique, family-owned hotel was designed to offer the myriad amenities corporate meeting and event planners seek in a high-end hotel, including world-renowned design, five independent food and beverage concepts, a private social club, an expansive rooftop infinity pool, panoramic rooftop views and high-end meeting and event space. Exuding European… more
Jun 23, 2023
As the industry begins to discover the significant impact artificial intelligence (AI) can have on certain aspects of event creation, three visionaries joined forces to design and produce AutonomousXP, a first-of-its-kind event that will utilize AI to make every decision possible.  Margaret Launzel-Pennes, CEO of Pop Experiential, Mark Roberts, head of experiential at POP Experiential, and Audry Hegwood, CEO and Founder of Impact Events and Marketing, are the innovators behind the three-day experience that will take place in Los Angeles Feb. 4-6, showcasing AI’s revolutionary capabilities to… more
Jun 22, 2023
The importance of making the events industry more inclusive and welcoming to all continues to be a major talking point. With June being Pride Month, it’s an opportune time to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and reflect on the industry’s accomplishments and ways to overcome obstacles that it continues to confront.    We checked in with four leading event professionals to find out what their organizations are doing to be more inclusive of the LGBTQIA+ community, how they are making their events more inclusive, the major challenges within the industry, how they are personally honoring Pride… more
Jun 20, 2023
Nashville, Tenn.-based Ryman Hospitality Properties Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio, Texas, from Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT), a perpetual-life, institutional quality real estate investment platform, for $800 million. According to officials from Ryman, a leading lodging and hospitality real estate investment trust that owns the Gaylord-branded hotels and resorts across the U.S., Ryman’s acquisition of the meetings and leisure resort property gives the hospitality and entertainment… more
Jun 19, 2023
Who doesn’t love a sweet treat at a business meeting or conference, especially after a long day of educational sessions and back-to-back engagements with clients or colleagues? Besides being pleasing to the palate, desserts, whether served at a sit-down meal or at an interactive buffet station, help create a fun and relaxed environment for attendees to mingle and network, breaking the ice, encouraging conversation and contributing to a positive and memorable event experience. And by offering a variety of sweet dishes or bites, event organizers can cater to different preferences and dietary… more
Jun 16, 2023
Attendees at IMEX Frankfurt, which took place May 23-25 at Messe Frankfurt, and IMEX America, set for Oct. 17-19 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, are benefitting from enhanced digital navigation thanks to an innovative combination of indoor positioning technology from Crowd Connected and an interactive floorplan from ExpoFP.  Crowd Connected, a pioneer in location-based visitor tracking, and ExpoFP, a leading provider of digital floorplans to the exhibitions industry, developed the QR code navigation solution to revolutionize the visitor experience by providing an unparalleled… more
Jun 15, 2023
Nearly 100 industry leaders from 24 states — including representatives from event, venue and destination organizations including IAEE, Visit Orlando, Venetian Resort Las Vegas, PCMA, MGM Resorts International, Visit Anaheim and many more — gathered on June 1 on Capitol Hill for Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance (ECA) Legislative Action Day. View the full list of attendees here. During more than 100 meetings, Legislative Action Day attendees advocated for ECA’s federal public policy priorities and the vital role that the business events industry plays in helping to spur economic growth,… more
Jun 13, 2023
Two leading U.S.-based media companies have been busy making strategic event acquisitions to expand their market share and further benefit the industries they serve. Take a look! Group C Media  Group C Media, a leading B2B media company based in Red Bank, N.J., recently acquired the portfolio of Continuity Insights from Pennsylvania-based Continuity Exchange.  Announced on May 25, the deal includes the acquisition of Continuity Insights Management Conference and ContinuityInsights.com., which delivers news and information to senior-level executives responsible for business continuity and… 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