News
Jun 30, 2020
Construction on Las Vegas Convention Center’s new underground transportation system, the Convention Center Loop, hit a milestone last month when Elon Musk’s The Boring Company completed excavation on the second of two 4,500-foot vehicular tunnels.
In May 2019, The Boring Company was selected by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority board of directors to design, construct and operate the unique “people mover.” The $52.5 million project is the company’s first commercial endeavor and also includes three stations, one of which will be underground and is currently being excavated.… more
Jun 29, 2020
The global event tech exhibition and conference Event Tech Live is taking a new approach for its 2020 event — and perhaps no one is better equipped to go (partially) digital, due to their depth of knowledge with event technology.
This Nov. 2-6, Event Tech Live will take a hybrid approach, expanding its typical two-day trade show (which will still take place in person, Nov. 4-5, at The Old Truman Brewery in London, incorporating procedures overseen by health consultants to ensure safety for all attendees) to include five virtual days of content, as well.
“ETL introduced a virtual element… more
Jun 25, 2020
Each spring, CoinDesk, a media platform providing news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and blockchain technology, produces an event called Consensus. The three-day conference and expo is part of New York City’s Blockchain Week, which typically attracts more than 12,000 attendees.
This year, COVID-19 forced all that to change, so CoinDesk made the decision to pivot the event to a digital format. The newly renamed Consensus: Distributed was held May 11-15 and underwent a unique transformation to go along with the new format.
“Once a transition to a virtual event was… more
Jun 24, 2020
The first facilities to earn the new GBAC STAR accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council, a division of ISSA—The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, are scheduled to be announced by the end of June. To achieve accreditation, applicants must demonstrate compliance with the program’s 20 elements covering cleaning, disinfecting and infectious disease prevention.
Less than two months after the launch of the GBAC STAR program on May 7, thousands of facilities have committed to the program — from large hotel chains, convention centers and arenas to small restaurants, bowling… more
Jun 23, 2020
Destinations International recently announced its new “We’re Here to Help” recovery campaign, which aims to unify the meetings, events and travel industry by demonstrating that CVBs play a critical role in recovery when the unexpected happens.
“There is no substitute for people working together to overcome dramatic and difficult challenges,” said Don Welsh, president and CEO of DI. “This campaign shows the resilience of our industry and how when we come together, great things are possible.”
He continued, “CVBs are the community connectors and will continue to be an essential extension of… more
Jun 22, 2020
As face-to-face meetings and events begin to resume, it goes without saying that event organizers are going to be paying extra-special attention to health and safety practices. With social distancing among the top safety practices for the foreseeable future, event registration and lead management solutions provider Convention Data Services is offering a new Touchless Toolkit.
Launched in early June, the Toolkit includes DigiBadge, which allows event registrants to check in safely and securely using their own mobile devices. Event participants download the DigiBadge link provided by the… more
Jun 19, 2020
As he watched the pandemic wreak havoc on the corporate events industry, Chris Greenslade, principal for the Charleston, S.C.-based CSG Meetings Management and Consulting, noticed that many of the suppliers involved in a planner’s traditional network either temporarily downsized or went out of business altogether. This left corporate planners without their usual support system as they navigated the challenges of either renegotiating their events or reworking them into a virtual or hybrid version.
The void this created led to a partnership between Greenslade’s company and two other… more
Jun 18, 2020
As a meeting planner for more than 15 years and co-founder of the Association for Women in Events (AWE), Carrie Abernathy understands the importance of diversity and inclusion in the events industry. She is currently the lead meeting planner for Altria Group Distribution Company and has served in a variety of leadership roles in the industry.
Abernathy recently started a weekly half-hour “talkcast” with fellow planner and PCMA board member Derrick Johnson called “Events: From Black to White” — and launched a new website called A Woman With Drive. Here, she shares more about these projects… more
Jun 17, 2020
As corporate marketing teams look ahead to begin planning for events for late 2020 and into 2021, bigger isn’t better: The theme that seems to be emerging is smaller, more intimate gatherings at a local level will help companies ease back into events.
While the hotel industry was among the hardest hit by the global pandemic, it’s the smaller, boutique hotels that may be among the first to bounce back, with fewer staff to hire back and fewer rooms to fill. These properties may also be among the best options for the first post-pandemic corporate meetings, as they come with less exposure to… more
Jun 16, 2020
Since the coronavirus pandemic brought face-to-face events to a halt, larger event industry suppliers such as major convention centers, general service contractors and product manufacturers pivoting to parallel industries or side businesses have garnered much attention. While smaller, independent suppliers may not be capturing all the headlines, they, too, have been trying to switch gears, sometimes with mixed results.
We talked to three independent contractors in the events industry to find out how they’re managing their businesses during this challenging time in our industry and world.… 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