News
Dec 23, 2019
We wish you the happiest of holiday seasons, surrounded by family and friends. Our team will be taking some time off to enjoy our holidays as well, but will be back the week of December 30 (with the exception of New Year's Day) with our regular lineup of articles.
Our next weekly enewsletter will go out on Wednesday, January 8 (if you aren't getting it already, you can subscribe here).
If you have some free time this week, why not fill in our year-end reader survey? Your responses to this short survey will help us deliver the types of information that you care about the most!
Take the… more
Dec 19, 2019
The all-male speaking panel — or “manel” — has received harsh criticism, with many speakers (both male and female) pledging to not participate in events where gender diversity is an issue. There’s even a Twitter handle (@allmalepanels) that seeks to both shame event organizers and draw more attention to the issue by calling out particularly egregious manels.
Yet a new study from event technology provider Bizzabo shows that the event speaking landscape continues to be male-dominated, with male speakers outnumbering female speakers 2-to-1. And in industries like information technology and… more
Dec 18, 2019
Every city has its own iconic treats, and St. Louis is no exception. On a recent trip there for the Ungerboeck United conference, we scoped out the best local foods that you can only get in “The Lou.” If you’re meeting in St. Louis in 2020, here are some delicious items to consider including on your menus. They’re sure to give your attendees a true taste of the city.
Gooey Butter Cake
Bakeries around town all have their own version of this decadent treat, which tastes as delicious as the name implies. Legend has it the cake was invented by mistake in the 1930s when a baker got the butter… more
Dec 17, 2019
There’s a whole new component coming to face-to-face events, with “face” being the key factor. Facial recognition for on-site check-in is slowly gaining traction, with more registration suppliers adding the technology to their portfolios.
Launched at IAEE’s Expo! Expo! in Las Vegas in Dec. 2019, registration and housing provider Streampoint Solutions’ FaceReg promises to reduce wait times for on-site check-in.
Dharmesh Dayabhai, Streampoint Solutions’ co-founder, says that the time from face detection to badge print is around 3-5 seconds. “The time savings is due to not trying to locate… more
Dec 13, 2019
The trade show floor at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition, which took place Dec. 3-5 at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, featured plenty of new and innovative event technology and tech partnerships to keep attendees buzzing.
While the primary pitch at Expo! Expo! was to exhibition managers, there are also use cases for any corporation that offers exhibits and sponsorships as part of its events. Here are a few event tech providers that generated lots of excitement on-site.
CadmiumCD Upgrades Exhibitor and Sponsorship Management Software
CadmiumCD announced the… more
Dec 12, 2019
The Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA) has announced its new board members for 2020. The board of directors will drive CEMA’s growth, innovation, diversity and sustainability initiatives in the coming year.
2020 CEMA Board Members
Chairwoman: Karen Cooper, Senior Manager Event Strategy and Development, Poly
Vice Chairwoman/Chairwoman Elect: Stacey Kashubeck, Senior Director of Events, Dreamforce Production, Salesforce.com
Secretary: Jim Kelley, Vice President of Marketing and Industry Relations, Fern Expo
Board Members at Large:
Colleen Bisconti, Vice President of Global… more
Dec 11, 2019
Heading to the City of Angels for a meeting or event next year? The city is exploding with new and renovated hotels to inspire every type of group. Whether you’re looking for a meeting space in a historic hotel or a trendy rooftop for a cocktail reception, you have plenty of options to choose from. Here are five venues that are catching our eye for 2020 and beyond.
The Wayfarer DTLA
Opening January in the downtown Los Angeles Broadway Corridor’s former Ritz Milner building, this boutique property will have 156 rooms plus four restaurants and a highly unique stairwell gym. While the trendy… more
Dec 09, 2019
China’s newest and largest convention center, Shenzhen World, opened in early November. The venue, which will be the biggest exhibition and convention center in the world once its Phase 2 construction is completed, is also aiming to be the most sustainable and most intelligent. One thing is certain: The impressive facility will play a significant role in growing the region’s economy.
Located in the Pearl River Delta, Shenzhen is China’s technology innovation hub and home to more than 3 million businesses. The city has grown from a small fishing village to a metropolis in just three decades… more
Dec 06, 2019
New in-venue smartphone app APPIX can be used to increase audience engagement — and now helps event organizers make their events safer, too.
The app debuted earlier this year targeting a wide range of use cases for immersive live event experiences. From participating in venue-wide displays of phone screen projections to receiving exclusive real-time content, messages and videos throughout an event, APPIX allows everyone in attendance to become part of the live show.
At the Nov. 20-22 Event Safety Summit in Pennsylvania, which used APPIX as its official conference mobile app, the technology… more
Dec 05, 2019
You may have never heard of Soundings Connect, but it’s a group you’ll want to get familiar with — and maybe even join. Founded in San Diego in 2018, it’s a network of 200 (and growing!) freelance meeting and event professionals, all of whom have experience in the fields of trade show management, meeting planning, event marketing and more.
The goal of the organization is to strategically match companies in need of these services with professionals whose skill sets and talents line up with their objectives. “We focus on both hard and soft skills to ensure the right fit,” says Tracy Judge,… 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