News
Apr 28, 2022
Born and raised in the Hawaiian islands, Teri Orton’s passion for the hospitality industry started early. In fact, it’s part of her family legacy. Both her parents worked in hospitality, so she was born into and exposed to the industry as a small child, yet never felt the need to rebel against or stray from the family business as a young adult.
After majoring in communications at the University of Hawai‘i and advancing her training in hospitality management through various certifications with Starwood and Hilton Hotels, Orton stayed the course, spending more than 25 years holding an array… more
Apr 27, 2022
In an effort to quantify the significant contribution made by the face-to-face business meetings and events sector to the global economy, the Events Industry Council (EIC) launched the data collection phase of its Economic Significance Study and revealed the results of its latest Global Business Events Barometer, showing positive signs for the industry’s recovery.
Conducted by Oxford Economics, the survey portion of the study is open through June 25 and applies to business meetings and events, including conventions, conferences, trade shows, exhibitions and incentives.
The ambitious… more
Apr 25, 2022
Event industry suppliers, CVBs and hospitality groups throughout the U.S. and across the pond are fine-tuning their teams and elevating staff via robust hiring and promoting moves. Take a look!
CORT
Leading furniture rental and transition services provider CORT recently announced the retirement of Executive Vice President Mark Koepsell after more than 34 years of dedicated service to the company.
After beginning his successful career with CORT in January of 1988 as national accounts manager, Koepsell soon became the director of national accounts, vice president of national sales and in… more
Apr 21, 2022
Some people are fortunate enough to be born into their life’s calling. Chef Purvill Chaney is such a lucky individual. A consummate culinary professional who discovered his passion for cooking while working as a chef in his parents’ restaurants in his hometown of Flint, Mich., the budding chef wasted no time in embarking upon a professional career path in hospitality after college, cutting his teeth as a sous chef at a local Hyatt Regency. Since then, Chaney’s long and storied career has included more than 27 years with Hyatt at a dozen different locations in multiple cities followed by a 15-… more
Apr 20, 2022
The future is beaming brighter for in-person professional meetings and events, with a recent Q1 2022 survey revealing that 84% of American business travelers expect to take at least one trip to attend conferences, conventions or trade shows in the next six months.
The survey, which had more than 2,500 respondents, also found that less than one in 10 business travelers are uncertain if they would travel in the next six months and that business travelers expect to resume traveling at a slightly slower pace compared to pre-pandemic levels, averaging about 1.6 trips per month (compared to 1.7… more
Apr 18, 2022
Circa Resort & Casino, downtown Las Vegas’ first new ground-up casino resort in four decades, is gearing up to debut 35,000 square feet of meeting and convention space in September. The opening of the new event space marks the next phase in the resort’s evolution, designed to deliver a completely new option for planners seeking an upscale and lively Las Vegas experience off the Strip, according to Circa Resort officials.
Available to book immediately, Circa’s customizable meeting and convention offerings will feature a ballroom, breakout rooms and banquet space, adjacent pre-function… more
Apr 15, 2022
As the vibrant annual National Cherry Blossom Festival comes to a close this month, Washington, D.C., continues to bloom with a prosperous business events scene—expected to thrive throughout 2022—and a wealth of new developments.
The nation's capital is well on the road to recovery as the industry moves out of the pandemic, and it has a positive outlook for the full return of meetings, conventions and trade shows, according to Elliott Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination DC (DDC).
“In a good year, we host north of 20 city-wide conventions,” Ferguson said. “Last year, we had four, and… more
Apr 14, 2022
As the non-profit fundraising arm of Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the largest global meetings and event industry association, the MPI Foundation (MPIF) serves an important purpose: to fund grants, scholarships and pan-industry research in support of the global meeting and event industry. But when the increasing humanitarian crisis resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began to take shape, the MPIF joined many event industry organizations in seeking an appropriate means to provide aid during the crisis.
According to MPI officials, since its joint board meeting on March 1,… more
Apr 13, 2022
Technology is continuing to transform the events industry with some of the most innovative events, products and ideas. Take a look at the latest happenings!
Hubilo
Leading event tech company Hubilo recently united 1,000-plus attendees for MIX 2022 (Mastering Immersive Events), its first-ever global hybrid gathering, which spanned three continents and 25 time zones.
The two-day event, which took place March 30-31 virtually and in-person, with live events in San Francisco, New York, London and Bangalore, was designed to show event professionals how to create immersive hybrid events at scale… more
Apr 11, 2022
Event planners interested in creating more engaging events with the help of new technologies and strategies can join the Event Leadership Institute’s first Innovation & Engagement Summit, set for April 20 and kicking off at 11 a.m. EDT. During this half-day virtual event, participants will have a chance to gain insights from A-list industry leaders and speakers about future trends, evolving event technologies and innovative engagement tools that can help them reinvent and reimagine events.
Presented in partnership with Meeting Professionals International, the online experience will also… more
Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.
Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is more