Feb 08, 2019
The first graduate-level program in the U.S. designed for meeting and event professionals will begin in August.
A partnership between San Diego State University’s L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and MPI, the majority of the 18-month program can be completed online, on your own time. The only portion of the program requiring travel is two on-campus weeks in San Diego. Sounds like a pretty great gig, right?
Targeted to CMPs and CMMs — as well as those already working in areas like corporate meeting planning, group sales, convention services, destination management… more
Jan 22, 2019
The events industry is financially healthy — and growing, according to a new report from Eventbrite.
The global ticketing and event technology platform company has released its annual Pulse Report, which aggregates survey data from more than 1,200 event professionals based in the U.S. and Canada. Approximately one third of the participants organize business events.
Katie Sawyer, Eventbrite’s head of content, said the interactive report is designed to help event professionals be more successful.
“The data provides the insights they need to make smart decisions about hiring, budget and… more
Jan 15, 2019
PSAV is known by many planners as the in-house or preferred audio-visual provider at leading venues across the nation. In fact, PSAV has a presence in nearly 1,600 locations within 10 different countries.
The production, creative, technology and staging services company was acquired by investment firm Blackstone in August 2018 and will soon become even larger with the acquisition of Encore Event Technologies.
Encore Event Technologies, a global provider of event technology, staging and production services, was formed in 2014 when The Freeman Company merged acquisitions made respectively in… more
Jan 09, 2019
2018 was a banner year for the Meetings Mean Business Coalition (MMBC) — an industry-wide coalition focused on showing the value of face-to-face meetings — and this week, at the PCMA Convening Leaders conference, representatives shared plans for building on that success in 2019 and beyond.
Julie Coker Graham, MMBC co-chair and president and CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, stated that in 2018, the coalition created deeper, more sustained engagements among industry economic influencers.
“To do this, we introduced a new advocacy strategy and tailored our… more
Dec 11, 2018
Freeman has expanded its offerings to clients even more by acquiring mdg, a full-service event marketing and public relations agency.
The acquisition enhances the Freeman spectrum of services from pre-event marketing and on-site user experience to post-show communications based on data-informed insights.
“The events business is undergoing a significant transformation - one that requires a sophisticated degree of integration around the convergence of brand strategy, data and content,” said Bob Priest-Heck, president and CEO, Freeman.
He added, “Our ability to translate strategy and data… more
Nov 28, 2018
Hannover, Germany-based mega-show CEBIT, which was focused on computers and in its height attracted up to 1 million attendees, will no longer exist as a standalone event, according to Deutsche Messe officials.
Deutsche Messe is streamlining its event portfolio and will integrate CEBIT's industry-related topics into the HANNOVER MESSE event, while also developing additional CEBIT topics into specialist events for decision-makers from vertical industries.
Deutsche Messe will cancel CEBIT 2019 because of declining visitor numbers and a continuing reduction in exhibitor bookings. The event was… more
Nov 22, 2018
IBTM World’s goal is to bring together and connect people from across the global meetings industry to create better business results. With more than 15,000 attendees expected and a reported record-setting 77,651 pre-booked business meetings — a five percent increase from last year’s event — the event is well on its way.
There will be a large infusion of new blood at IBTM World 2018. More than half of this year’s hosted buyers are first time participants, and 50 percent of the hosted buyers overall have had no previous experience with the IBTM portfolio. Twenty percent of the hosted buyers… more
Nov 01, 2018
The more things change, the more some things stay the same. A new report from Development Counsellors International (DCI) highlights the changes, challenges and trends taking place within the meetings and events industry while showing that the power of face-to-face interactions remains strong.
“A View from Meeting Planners: Winning Strategies in Destination Marketing” collates data from 181 North American decision-makers and influencers with global meeting planning responsibilities. Respondents span the corporate, incentive and association segments and nearly half have more than 20 years of… more
Oct 22, 2018
IMEX America 2018, billed as the industry’s largest trade show in the United States, broke its own records for success. Held Oct. 16-18 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, this was the show’s eighth year in Las Vegas.
The show statistics, provided by IMEX, are impressive:
13,000 estimated participants
6,000 attendees
3,300 hosted buyers
More than 3,500 exhibitors
More than 150 countries represented
70,000 estimated appointments
Economic impact of $19.1 million
Smart Monday, the MPI-powered day of education immediately prior to IMEX America, also broke its previous… more
Oct 16, 2018
Today is opening day for IMEX America 2018, the country’s worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events. Held annually at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, this year's IMEX America runs Oct. 16 – 18.
Smart Monday, the MPI-powered free educational day immediately prior to the main IMEX activities, broke attendance records yesterday, and keeping in line with the industry predictions for an event size increase, IMEX America’s showfloor will be its largest yet with more than 3,500 exhibitors representing 150 countries.
Twenty-eight percent of returning… 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