Mar 06, 2025
The city of Austin, Texas, is about to see a change to its skyline. On February 25, the Austin Convention Center Department (ACCD) unveiled the first renderings of the new Austin Convention Center, dubbed “Unconventional ATX.” The $1.6 billion project is expected to redefine the city’s event landscape with more space, innovative design, and a commitment to sustainability.
The new downtown facility will nearly double the rentable space of the existing convention center, expanding it from 365,000 to 620,000 square feet. Funded through hotel occupancy tax and convention center revenues, the… more
Mar 05, 2025
Event management platform RainFocus hosted its annual flagship event, RainFocus INSIGHT, in Salt Lake City Feb. 18–20. Nearly 450 event, marketing, and technology professionals attended the three-day event, which featured 75-plus educational sessions, demos of brand-new platform features, and the annual Innovation Awards ceremony.
The attendance figure marked a 20% increase overall year over year—fitting in a year when INSIGHT took on an “Elevating Relationships” theme. “Even more exciting was the 40% growth in attendance from our customer and prospect base, the fastest-growing segment,”… more
Mar 04, 2025
When asked to share her perspective on what the Donald J. Trump presidency might mean for the business events community, former U.S. Representative from Wyoming Liz Cheney said: “Nobody should assume that this is a permanent change in American politics.”
In a fireside chat with Emcee Holly Ransom at PCMA Convening Leaders, Cheney shared her insights on leadership, courage, and the challenges facing democracy today. Known for her steadfast dedication to principled leadership, Cheney's discussion highlighted the importance of courage and the responsibilities that come with leadership roles… more
Mar 03, 2025
What does it take to launch and run a successful event planning company? In a captivating fireside chat with us at Connect North 2025, MJMeetings Founder and CEO Missy Johnson shared her inspiring journey of building a successful event planning business that recently celebrated its 11-year anniversary—despite event industry shutdowns during COVID.
With more than 30 years spent in the events industry, Johnson's experience offers invaluable insights into entrepreneurship, relationship-building, and overcoming challenges. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, Corporate Event News recognizes… more
Feb 28, 2025
A signature Las Vegas hotel-resort recently joined a branded collection of premium meetings properties, and an expansive property in upstate New York completed a property-wide renovation.
Hyatt Convention Alliance Adds Rio Las Vegas to Its Portfolio
Rio Las Vegas, a Destination by Hyatt hotel, has joined the Hyatt Convention Alliance (HCA), a collection of premier Hyatt-branded hotels in key markets across the U.S. Announced on February 20, the addition marks a significant expansion in the HCA’s offerings, elevating its portfolio to 11 premier properties across 10 U.S. markets while… more
Feb 27, 2025
London, U.K.-based creative event design and production agency Event Concept (EC) is expanding into the U.S. market with a new division in North America. The new division brings EC’s unique blend of creative agency thinking and production expertise in brand-led B2B event experiences to the U.S.
The North American launch comes on the heels of a period of organic growth for the business across global and U.S. markets, alongside the agency’s successful repositioning in spring 2024.
Backstory
Established in 1994, EC boasts more than 30 years of experience creating events for major global… more
Feb 26, 2025
In a riveting session at the recent 2025 PCMA Convening Leaders, renowned researcher, storyteller, and author Brené Brown took the stage to share her insights on leadership, vulnerability, and courage. Known for her pioneering work on the power of vulnerability, Brown engaged in a fireside chat with the Emergent CEO Holly Ransom, who has served as PCMA Convening Leaders EmCee and Moderator for the past several years, providing attendees with a treasure trove of actionable ideas.
Backstory
Brown’s TED talk on the Power of Vulnerability is one of the top five most-viewed TED talks in the… more
Feb 25, 2025
The Savannah Convention Center (SCC) in Savannah, Ga., has completed a massive, $276 million expansion that has positioned the venue to not only serve long-standing events wishing to grow but also attract new and larger-scale meetings and conventions to the historic coastal destination.
Started on March 17, 2021, and completed on February 6, the transformative project has doubled the facility’s size to 660,000 square feet, with enhancements to existing spaces featuring modernized design elements, refreshed color schemes, and premium technology upgrades.
“The enhanced functionality and… more
Feb 24, 2025
Following the unprecedented growth and momentum of its open source Llama collection of models and tools, Meta announced it is launching LlamaCon, its first-ever developer conference dedicated to generative AI that will take place on April 29. The company also announced its 12th annual developer conference, Meta Connect, will be held September 17-18. Meta did not announce the location of either of the conferences, but they will likely be held in person at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., and online. Additional details will be made available soon, said Meta.
At LlamaCon, Meta… more
Feb 21, 2025
Think event email marketing is dead? Think again, said Jay Schwedelson, founder of GURU Media Hub and podcast host of Do This, Not That: For Marketers, during a recent Women in Exhibitions Network (WIEN) North America meeting in January.
Back story: In the last 12 months, Schwedelson has participated in or hosted more than 2,000 webinars and 157 in-person events. His company produces the Guru Conference, which attracted more than 24,100 marketers, and the Delivered Conference that drew more than 7,400 marketers. In June, he’s launching Eventastic, which is touted as the largest event about… 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