News

Sep 16, 2022
Right off the bat (pun intended), I knew Cleo Battle was someone who makes the most of an experience. No more than a couple of minutes into our conversation, the discussion turned to how much he treasures his personalized Louisville Slugger in purple—the color of his hometown baseball team, the Colorado Rockies—which he’s had since moving to Louisville almost 10 years ago, and how he enjoys his fine Kentucky bourbon on occasion—with a nice cigar and a great Sinatra album. Indeed, Battle is an aficionado and a connoisseur of the destination he has represented for nearly a decade, first as… more
Sep 15, 2022
Leading technology solutions provider Personify  has purchased GTR Event Technology, a long-established industry player, to offer a complete event management platform for organizers of trade shows, conferences, corporate meetings and other gatherings. GTR has developed powerful and easy-to-use software, along with expert services for badge printing, online registration, lead retrieval and attendance tracking, all of which are now available through Personify’s Community Experience Platform.   “The addition further enables our mission of helping our clients to manage and grow their… more
Sep 13, 2022
Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the world’s largest meeting and event industry association worldwide, recently unveiled its Summer Meetings Outlook, a future-focused quarterly report that identifies current industry trends, innovations and outlooks. Designed to inform and enable event planners to budget and plan accordingly, the publication is crafted as a comprehensive guide to help ensure a strong foundation for building sound and successful business strategies. According to the report, meeting and event business projections remain strong, with signs of growth moving at a… more
Sep 12, 2022
The Siouxland Expo Center in Sioux City, Iowa, has received a new name as a result of a multi-year partnership with Seaboard Triumph Foods. The venue was officially renamed the Seaboard Triumph Foods Expo Center, according to officials at full-service venue management and hospitality company OVG360, which provides booking and management services and sales efforts for the Expo Center. The naming rights agreement, which was brokered through OVG360’s Global Partnerships team, includes a variety of assets, such as a new name and logo for the facility, branding integration throughout the Seaboard… more
Sep 09, 2022
Personify, a leading technology solutions provider for associations, nonprofits and event professionals, launched its first-ever A2Z Event Professionals Awards. The new awards program was established to celebrate the agility, creativity and innovation in today’s events and associations industries.   “So many awards are focused on revenue or square footage,” said Rich Vallaster, director of event marketing at Personify. “While those are critical components to an event’s success, recognizing the ideas of all sizes and the people and teams who have had a huge impact in the industry is why we… more
Sep 08, 2022
The IMEX Group unveiled details of its education program for IMEX America 2022, set to zero in on modern-day challenges and hot topics as industry professionals navigate a new normal for events. In creating the education program for this year’s show, which takes place Oct. 10-13 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, the goal was “radical simplicity,” according to Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group. “We know meeting and event industry professionals are overrun, overwhelmed and seeking clarity, so this year’s learning sessions deliver bold content designed to cut to the heart of… more
Sep 07, 2022
Pittsburgh-based The Hutton Group–Inspired Meetings & Events, a women-owned and operated boutique company specializing in meetings, venues and hotels, debuted a new destination management company (DMC) as an extension of its parent company. Announced on Aug. 23, the new DMC comprises experienced destination designers offering travel and ground services, VIP experiences, dine-arounds at culinary gems, tours and outings and unique venue procurement. It can also provide curated experiences, including teambuilding and corporate social responsibility projects, custom event design, amenities… more
Sep 06, 2022
Growing up in a culinary family in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, Chef Lumarie Rodríguez-Soto initially avoided a career in the culinary arts. As a young woman, she tried pursuing other career paths, but her innate creativity and love for baking eventually led her back to the kitchen and then to culinary school at La Escuela Hotelera de Puerto Rico, where she honed her skills, grew her knowledge and perfected her craft.  “Almost everybody in my family—my grandma, my mom and my brother—works in a kitchen, [and] I saw the behind-the-scenes, non-glamorous side of the business, so I knew how hard… more
Sep 02, 2022
The Atlanta CVB has become one of the first destination marketing organizations to embrace the metaverse with the launch of a marketing platform designed to allow event professionals and prospective visitors to explore the city and its venues through a rendered 3D virtual experience. Atlanta Meta World is a visually realistic virtual world representation of Atlanta that enables users to discover the city while interacting with other virtual visitors and representatives of venues and ACVB in real time, in addition to viewing presentations on and the latest developments in the city. “If… more
Sep 01, 2022
With industry professionals bringing a heightened focus to the ROI of their events, particularly due to soaring event costs and structural changes to events as a result of the pandemic, Event Leadership Institute (ELI) launched the industry’s first course specifically centered on measuring, interpreting and communicating an event’s performance to stakeholders.  The online Event Measurement & Analytics Certificate will teach participants a variety of data-driven ways to measure an event’s success for different stakeholders, including attendees, hosts, exhibitors and sponsors. More… more
Partner Voices
  MGM Resorts is renowned for its exceptional service and diverse venue options across Las Vegas, Detroit, Springfield, National Harbor, Biloxi, and Atlantic City, providing flexible spaces for meetings of any size. Beyond these offerings, MGM Resorts distinguishes itself through a strong commitment to social responsibility and sustainability, making it an ideal choice for your next meeting.  At the core of MGM Resorts' company values is its platform, "Focused on What Matters," dedicated to meeting customer needs while advancing socially responsible practices. This commitment is evident more