News
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 26, 2020
As the importance of lessening the environmental impact of meetings, trade shows and events only continues to grow, here’s what two Midwestern convention centers are doing to help make sustainable planning easier.
McCormick Place
With nearly 3 million visitors each year, McCormick Place, North America’s largest convention center, has a large environmental footprint. However, for more than a decade, the 2.6 million-square-foot facility has been actively creating a more sustainable campus. In the last few months, the campus has taken two major steps forward.
With installation of the… more
Feb 25, 2020
Much like social media, podcasts are increasingly becoming a great medium for sharing news, information, tips and best practices in the trade show and events industry. And their popularity is growing. According to Edison Research and Nielsen, there are more than 700,000 active podcasts and more than 29 million podcast episodes in existence, including content in more than 100 languages. As of 2019, 51 percent (approximately 165 million people) of the U.S. population had listened to a podcast.
With the help of some of our podcast-loving #Expochat moderators, including Michelle Bruno of Event… 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 20, 2020
When I first learned about Chicago Planner Master Class, I was intrigued. Put on by Ateema Media & Marketing, this series of events designed specifically for professional event planners and event marketers isn’t a typical talking-head education session or a loose networking opportunity. Instead, events (which take place several times a year) are structured as a brief introduction from a partner sponsor followed by 10 roundtable discussions on topics pre-selected by attendees.
I attended my first one this week and not only did I learn a lot, I was also impressed with the layout and flow… more
Feb 19, 2020
We recently wrote about why event industry organizations should implement green teams — cross-functional groups that identify and implement ways to help the organization operate in a more environmentally sustainable fashion.
While a green team might typically be internal to one specific organization or venue, in the events world, the best results come from extending those teams to encompass all key stakeholders responsible for executing a specific event. In many cases, while these green teams are still voluntary, the responsibilities are seen as being part of the job function and may not… more
Feb 18, 2020
In the past year, San Jose has seen a significant amount of expansion, rebranding and new growth — including plans for a new Google campus that could house up to 25,000 employees — but it isn’t leaving its history behind. From the San Jose McEnery Convention Center to hotels, arenas, auditoriums, mansions and a wide variety of unique spaces and attractions, the city boasts a plethora of historic and modern venues for event planners to choose from.
“When you think of San Jose, you think of innovation, robots meeting you at the airport and futuristic offerings,” said Matthew Martinucci, vice… more
Feb 14, 2020
Event organizers seeking another digital alternative to printing thousands of program books for conferences and events now have a more cost-effective option. Application and review software platform company OpenWater has unveiled ProgramBook, a mobile app that transforms printed content including abstracts, sessions and author information into a searchable mobile companion available for both Android and iOS devices.
Designed to help organizations organize and manage their annual meetings, conferences and events, the new app allows event organizers and attendees to view all meeting or… more
Feb 13, 2020
Deadly earthquakes have been rattling the island of Puerto Rico in recent weeks, causing devastation in the area around Guanica on the southwest coast. On the other side of the island, however, in San Juan (which is celebrating its 500th anniversary this year!), things are looking up.
After experiencing a decline in meetings and events business leading up to and following Hurricane Maria in 2017, the northeast portion of Puerto Rico is not only open for business, but well-positioned to attract more meetings and events than ever — especially in the luxury segment.
The 5-acre El Distrito, a… 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