Jul 14, 2022
As staffing shortages continue to plague the meetings and events industry—from convention centers to hotels and beyond—the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is stepping up efforts to lure prospective employees following its recent member survey.
According to the results of the survey, which polled 500 properties, 97% of respondents indicated they are experiencing a staffing shortage, 49% severely so. The most critical staffing need is housekeeping, with 58% ranking it as their biggest challenge.
To meet the demand, hotels surveyed are offering a host of incentives for… more
Jul 07, 2022
Mark Johnson, chairman and CEO of Minneapolis-based The STAR Groupe, has acquired leading trade show and corporate event marketing education company Exhibitor Media Group, publisher of the award-winning EXHIBITOR magazine and producer of EXHIBITORLIVE, the national conference and exhibition for trade show and corporate event marketers.
As the founder of Star Exhibits and Environments in 1993, Johnson made a strategic decision following the COVID-19 pandemic to establish a holding company dedicated to serving the face-to-face marketing industry.
“The trade show industry was significantly… more
Jul 01, 2022
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) promised golden opportunities at this year’s World Education Congress (WEC), its signature annual North American event, and it certainly delivered as it ushered attendees into the “new era of events.”
With 2022 marking the association’s 50th anniversary, the Golden State’s iconic city of San Francisco set the stage for an innovatively designed three-day gathering filled with insightful education and keynotes on trending topics, top-notch networking events, celebrations honoring its community members and plenty of opportunities to make meaningful… more
Jun 22, 2022
The first IMEX Frankfurt since 2019 proved to be a momentous occasion for the global meetings and events industry, as professionals gathered with colleagues to celebrate the return of events, reconnect, learn from industry peers and conduct business.
The show, held May 31 to June 2 at Messe Frankfurt, drew approximately 9,000 attendees, including nearly 3,000 buyers, and 2,300 exhibiting companies.
“It’s clearly been a great week for our global industry,” said Carina Bauer, CEO of IMEX Group. “The show was imbued with a sense of camaraderie and celebration, and it felt good to be back… more
Jun 10, 2022
Following months of advocacy, travel and events industry entities are praising the Biden Administration’s announcement that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will lift the pre-departure COVID-19 testing requirement for inbound air travelers, effective June 12, hailing the move as vital to the industry’s full recovery.
“As the face-to-face business events industry continues to work tirelessly to bring back international exhibitors and attendees to our conferences and trade shows, this welcome news removes one of the key barriers to jumpstarting our industry’s… more
Jun 06, 2022
In celebration of the event industry’s revival and promising post-pandemic future, the recent Connect Spring Marketplace provided meeting and event planners with a plethora of business development opportunities, top-notch education and stand-out meetings and event offerings, highlighted by the vibrant island culture of its host destination, Puerto Rico.
Held May 22-24 at the Puerto Rico Convention Center (PRCC) in San Juan, the annual conference and trade show attracted more than 1,700 event professionals. Highlights included a trade show with 30 exhibitors, one-on-one appointments and… more
Jun 03, 2022
Ungerboeck, a global leader in event management software, has acquired the products of risk management agency Reliance Risk and will be debuting an industry-first application for mitigating risk to events and venues.
As the industry continues to be impacted by major issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, terrorism, accidents and severe weather incidents, risk management is an increasingly essential factor that venues and event professionals must take into consideration. Ungerboeck is committed to helping its customers better manage risks of all kinds.
The acquisition of both Reliance… more
Jun 02, 2022
The Events Industry Council (EIC) and Vsef, founded by Explori as the global data format for the digital events industry, formed an alliance to further the mission of establishing data standardization for digital events to help organizers drive growth and innovation.
The EIC, a global federation of more than 30 member organizations representing more than 103,500 individuals and 19,500 firms and properties in the events industry, works to establish professional standards of excellence across the entirety of the international events community through initiatives including the CMP Program, the… more
May 26, 2022
The highly anticipated Omni PGA Frisco Resort, located 30 miles north of Dallas, is on track to be unveiled in spring 2023 and has opened for group booking requests for events starting in June 2023 and beyond.
“With group meetings and events returning quickly, we are eager to share our exciting new resort for groups to consider,” said Jeff Smith, vice president and managing director for Omni PGA Frisco Resort. “Omni PGA Frisco is excited to see the role it will play being a state-of-the-art meetings destination in Texas.”
He added, “This extraordinary resort, in partnership with PGA of… more
May 09, 2022
As the trade show and meetings industry continues its emergence from the pandemic, this year’s Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance’s (ECA) signature ECA Legislative Action Week couldn’t be a more important and urgent one for event professionals to consider attending.
Set for June 6-10, the week-long virtual event will converge face-to-face business events industry advocates to meet with their members of Congress about the vital role that exhibitions and conferences play in helping communities across the U.S. recover from the devastating economic and employment impacts of the COVID-19… 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