Mar 06, 2020
The following is an open letter dated March 5, 2020, from the leadership of the American Society of Association Executives; Destinations International; Events Industry Council; International Association of Exhibitions and Events; International Association of Venue Managers; Meeting Professionals International; PCMA; and the U.S. Travel Association. We share the concern about the coronavirus and the questions this challenge presents. The health and wellbeing of the public is always paramount. The goal, of course, in any moment of public health concern is to be guided by expert information,… more
Mar 05, 2020
In the wake of sudden, severe storms that caused a series of devastating tornadoes to slam through Nashville and greater middle Tennessee in the early hours of March 3, the City of Nashville is starting to pick up the pieces. According to news reports, the storm claimed more than two dozen lives and caused extensive destruction to homes and businesses, with the East Nashville, Germantown and Donelson neighborhoods hit particularly hard. But despite the extensive damage, Nashville’s resilient residents, including the Convention Center Authority, are already stepping up to help their community… more
Mar 04, 2020
While trade shows throughout the globe are continuing to cancel due to fears of COVID-19, some major events in the U.S. and Germany are forging ahead. They’re leveraging strong and transparent communication plans to reassure concerned attendees and exhibitors that their health and safety remain a top priority.  CONEXPO-CON/AGG & IFPE CONEXPO-CON/AGG & IFPE will be taking place as planned at Las Vegas Convention Center, March 10-14. According to a statement on its website, the show is not only closely monitoring the latest updates from the Centers for Disease Control and the World… more
BOCOM
Feb 27, 2020
Updated Mar. 23, 2020: BOCOM has been postponed til Sept. 3, 2020  With growing demand for more personalized, interactive event experiences, organizations around the world have been working to reinvent meetings. BOCOM — the self-described first borderless communication experience worldwide — is a step towards what could become the conference of the future. BOCOM officials say the April 23 multisite event will enable participants to experience future digital meeting and work technologies and their impact on daily business life. The idea behind BOCOM is intriguing: to overcome the borders of… more
Feb 21, 2020
Update: SPIN AdventureCon has been postponed till 2021. As shown by recent experiential marketing studies, people are craving more human-to-human experiences at events, which for event organizers means shaking things up. From events like Haute Dokimazo’s Secret Family Reunion to Ateema Media & Marketing’s Planner Master Class roundtables, planners are implementing creative new ways to meet differently. SPIN AdventureCon, a new event from the Senior Planners Industry Network for senior planners, promises a combination of education and unique experiences that will provide plenty of… more
Feb 20, 2020
Ripples from the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus continue to be felt by the meetings industry. Today, Reed Travel Exhibitions announced that it has postponed the inaugural IBTM Asia Pacific. Originally scheduled for Apr. 6-8, the event has been rescheduled to Apr. 13-14, 2021. The location (Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands) will remain the same. According to Reed officials, the decision was made based on the latest advice from its partners, and after in-depth discussions with customers and hosted buyers regarding the coronavirus. “This is not a decision we have taken lightly,” said Shane… more
Feb 12, 2020
Lisa Sommer Devlin, owner of Phoenix-based Devlin Law Firm which specializes in hospitality law, has received about a dozen phone calls from hotels in the past week. They’re reaching out to her as a result of groups wanting to cancel events without penalties, due to the coronavirus.  The virus is having an impact on events around the world, not just in Asian markets. Within Asia, especially China, many events have been canceled or postponed. Money20/20 Asia, originally slated for March, has been postponed til August. And today, it was announced that Mobile World Congress, the world's largest… more
Feb 06, 2020
The new EIC Knowledge Hub from Events Industry Council is an online learning platform for event professionals designed to be a go-to source for the latest education, best practices, courses and trends. Besides allowing users to access the organization’s extensive education archive, the new hub complements EIC’s other educational resources, including webinars, industry research and live events. “The new hub allows current and those interested in becoming Certified Meeting Professionals the opportunity to easily access, track and advance their learning,” said Amy Calvert, CEO of EIC. “… more
Feb 05, 2020
Digitalization has been a boon for event marketers, providing new ways to automate processes, get work done from anywhere in the world, and gather more data to power better customer experiences. But there is also a negative: while attendees may want to focus on your content, there are so many digital distractions that it can be close to impossible for them to succeed. As a result, the desire for more human-to-human experiences at events is on the rise, according to Agency EA’s new 2020 Experiential Marketing Trends Report.   Anecdotal estimates put the average per-person conference attendee… more
Jan 27, 2020
Meetingselect and Certain are partnering to extend the reach and business value of their integrated Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) and event automation solutions. Meetingselect’s corporate booking platform, which includes global event venue and conference hotel sourcing, RFP management and event budgeting and spend tracking, will integrate via APIs with Certain’s enterprise event automation solutions. With this partnership, Certain’s enterprise customers will gain the ability to increase their control over meeting spend and maximize the efficiency of their meetings and events. “Our… 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