News

Nov 19, 2021
In another move aimed at boosting the industry’s recovery through the full return of in-person professional meetings and events, the Meetings Mean Business Coalition (MMBC) and the U.S. Travel Association announced the full integration of the coalition under the U.S. Travel umbrella. With the assimilation, MMBC will strengthen its critical mission of uniting the meetings and events industry with one strong and powerful voice. The coalition will benefit more directly from U.S. Travel’s robust public affairs resources and advocacy network while providing greater value to coalition members as… more
Nov 17, 2021
Organizing a safe, productive and memorable event for thousands of attendees in a new pandemic world is one thing—doing it for your industry and proving it was a testament to its resiliency and ability to successfully recover is another. The energy and excitement were palpable at IMEX America 2021, held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas Nov. 9-11, as attendees disembarked from shuttle buses and eagerly proceeded into the event. They happily showed proof of COVID-19 vaccination on their smart phones before heading onto the show floor to reunite with industry colleagues, build… more
Nov 15, 2021
The flurry of new hires and promotions in the meetings industry continues unabated, particularly at destination marketing organizations this fall. Take a look at who’s landing new career opportunities or moving up the ladder: Arlington CVB Following a nationwide search, the Arlington CVB has tapped Brent DeRaad, current president and CEO of Visit Tucson, as its new president and CEO, effective Dec. 6. He is replacing Ron Price, who has served as the ACVB’s president and CEO since 2013. Price resigned in May to head up Visit Phoenix. DeRaad brings more than 20 years of hospitality… more
Nov 12, 2021
The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) has partnered with software company JUNO to offer an enhanced platform for its audiences to experience content and connect with each other year-round. “This platform enables PCMA to extend our digital strategy beyond events and connect our global community to continue conversation and learning,” said Sherrif Karamat, PCMA’s president and CEO, during the announcement on Nov. 10 at IMEX America in Las Vegas. “We are excited to partner with JUNO to offer an enhanced experience for our audiences to connect and engage with one another.”… more
Nov 11, 2021
The city of Milwaukee will soon be doubling the size of its convention center via a multi-million-dollar expansion project. On Oct. 28, the Wisconsin Center District celebrated its long-awaited plan to grow the Wisconsin Center by hosting a groundbreaking ceremony attended by WCD leaders and staff, several local leaders, government officials and additional guests. Speakers at the event included Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan; Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley; VISIT Milwaukee President and CEO Peggy Williams-Smith; VISIT Milwaukee Board Chair Dr. Eve… more
Nov 10, 2021
Connect teamed with World Meetings Forum (WFM), one of the most important events linking qualified hosted buyers with suppliers for the MICE industry, as part of its ongoing mission to present event planners with a diverse group of impressive destinations. WFM has nearly 10 years of presence in Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean and was the first event in the region to return face-to-face in 2020 in Los Cabos. Rafael Hernandez, chair of the WFM, will act as a liaison to Latin American, Central American and Spanish-speaking Caribbean DMCs to attend future Connect events. “We are… more
Nov 09, 2021
Now that meetings and conventions are trickling back to an in-person format again, the question of what event food and beverage is going to look like for the foreseeable future is likely occupying the mind of many a pandemic-weary event planner these days. To find out how the last 20 months have influenced the kinds of menus events are opting to serve or forgo, we turned to the experts—in this case, 20-year culinary veteran Jen Bargisen, senior executive chef with Sodexo Live!—to find out which F&B trends are hot and which are not in this ever-evolving health and safety landscape. What… more
Nov 05, 2021
The event and hospitality industries are rallying behind a new bill that would help restore communicable disease coverage within event cancellation insurance and keep jobs and businesses protected during future pandemics and public health emergencies. Reintroduced in Congress on Nov. 2 by U.S. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), the Pandemic Risk Insurance Act of 2021 (PRIA), a version of which she first proposed in May 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, is music to the ears of those in industries still reeling from billions in pandemic-related financial losses.  If passed, the bill… more
Nov 04, 2021
Ask Carina Bauer about how she got into the events industry, and she’ll tell you that while she was “born into it” thanks to her father, Ray Bloom, a serial entrepreneur in the hospitality and meetings industry who founded IMEX Group in 2002, that doesn’t mean her fate was necessarily sealed.  “I actually started my career in catering, running a chain of coffee shops and later joined IMEX by accident when I stepped in to help when one of the team fell ill a year before our first IMEX in Frankfurt,” Bauer explains.  That happy accident resulted in a complete immersion into the business… more
Nov 02, 2021
North Carolina’s Charlotte Convention Center is now ready and able to host larger meetings and conventions, thanks to a $126.9 million expansion project that has added approximately 50,000 square feet to the 26-year-old downtown venue.  On Oct. 21, the City of Charlotte, the CRVA, construction partners, hospitality industry representatives and community leaders gathered to officially open and celebrate the new state-of-the-art space via a ribbon cutting ceremony that included the unveiling of a new public artwork and remarks from city government and tourism officials, including Mayor Vi… more
Partner Voices
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