News
Oct 30, 2024
Distill down the elements of a changemaker, and you’ll find someone who can identify a problem, define a workable solution, and, most critically, execute that idea. With the creation of SocialOffset, Beth Surmont, FASAE, CMP-Fellow, CAE, checks all those boxes.
The problem: Surmont, vice president of event strategy and design at 360 Live Media, and her co-founder and wife Elena Gerstmann, FASAE, CAE, executive director of INFORMS, faced the challenge of attending conferences in destinations that had passed legislation that didn’t align with their values. While boycotting an event or a… more
Oct 30, 2024
Exclusively sponsored by Honeycomb Strategies
Events need water! From flushing toilets to washing linens to serving drinking water and ice for happy hours, water is everywhere – but can often be overlooked when it comes to conservation measures. What, after all, can we really do to mitigate water consumption beyond measuring how much we used? Turns out there are a few ways. Let’s break down four ways to manage different types of water for your event.
Drinking Water Solutions
Safe and accessible drinking water is an important priority for the wellness of your event attendees. One convenient… more
Oct 29, 2024
Since September, several leading venues announced or completed major expansion and remodel projects while others upped the ante with high-level environmental and inclusivity certifications.
Off-Strip Las Vegas Hotel Completes Convention Renovation and More
The Rio Hotel & Casino Las Vegas recently completed of the first phase of its multi-year property-wide transformation. Since Dreamscape Cos. took over the resort’s operations in late 2023, the off-Strip hotel has undergone extensive Phase One renovations, including the addition of eight new food and beverage destinations, the… more
Oct 28, 2024
“A 72-hour whirlwind” is what Workday’s own senior content marketing manager called Workday Rising 2024 and its “Forever Forward” theme this year. And true to the motif, the annual conference for the financial and human-resource management platform boasted a footprint that extended beyond the trade show floor at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas to a tour bus, a rockstar-worthy experiential pavilion, and even Netflix.
Thus, it comes as no surprise that Workday Rising clocked 15% year-over-year attendance growth for its 2024 iteration Sept. 16-19, welcoming more than 30,000… more
Oct 25, 2024
In less than two months, Julie Coker, president and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA), will leave San Diego to lead New York City Tourism + Conventions as its new president and CEO. Coker will remain in her current role until December 6.
As the first Black woman to serve as leader of NYC Tourism + Conventions, Coker will be filling the role of former President and CEO Fred Dixon, who served as the organization’s leader for 10 years, from 2014 until his departure in June 2024, when he was tapped to lead Brand USA. Since Dixon left the organization on July 15, Nancy Mammana, CMO… more
Oct 24, 2024
It’s hard to believe it had been eight years since the last full-fledged Democratic National Convention (DNC) was produced. After COVID forced the 2020 proceedings to go mostly virtual, the DNC production team was eager to get back to business as usual in 2024.
As move-in for the 2024 DNC was well underway, U.S. President Joe Biden announced on July 21 he would drop out of the 2024 presidential race—less than one month before the event was scheduled to open on Aug. 19 at McCormick Place and the United Center arena in Chicago.
Navigating uncharted waters, the DNC organizing team quickly… more
Oct 21, 2024
Viad Corp, a public company, has entered into a definitive agreement with private Los Angeles-based private equity firm Truelink Capital to acquire GES, a global exhibition and event industry services provider, for $535 million.
The acquisition encompasses GES Exhibitions, a provider of global exhibition and logistics services; global experiential agency Spiro; and onPeak, SHOWTECH, and Visit, which provide event housing, power/lighting, and registration services, respectively.
Upon the transaction’s completion by Dec. 31, 2024, pending regulatory approvals, due diligence, and other… more
Oct 21, 2024
A recent global business-travel forecast details the factors affecting airfares as well as guest-room rates and costs for event elements at business hotels.
With many organizations in the midst of setting their travel and event budgets for 2025, the recently released Global Business Travel Forecast from business-travel and meetings agency CWT and the Global Business Travel Association provides data that planners can use to justify next year’s funding requests.
To start, the average domestic-flight cost will come in at about $810 in 2024. The good news is that the average airfare in 2025 is… more
Oct 18, 2024
Celebrating 70 years with the theme of “Innovate. Elevate. Collaborate,” the Experiential Designers & Producers Association (EDPA) is gearing up to host EDPA ACCESS 2024, its annual meeting and conference for event designers, producers, and key industry suppliers. Set for December 3-5 at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells in Palm Desert, Calif., the intimate event is expected to attract more than 300 attendees and will explore key topics facing all three segments of the trade show and business events industry.
Last year, ACCESS 2023 attracted 325 attendees to the Hyatt Coconut Point in… more
Oct 17, 2024
Sustainability took center stage at Javits Center during Climate Week NYC, which was held Sept. 22-29. Climate Week NYC takes place every year in partnership with the United Nations General Assembly and is run in coordination with the United Nations and the City of New York.
Launched in 2019 as part of Climate Week NYC, the Nest Climate Campus returned Sept. 24-26 to Javits and featured a one-day Sustainable Events Summit (SES), an invitation-only think-tank style meeting produced by MAD Event Management that was launched to help event organizers and suppliers to achieve net zero by 2050.… 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