News

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
Feb 12, 2020
Lisa Sommer Devlin, owner of Phoenix-based Devlin Law Firm which specializes in hospitality law, has received about a dozen phone calls from hotels in the past week. They’re reaching out to her as a result of groups wanting to cancel events without penalties, due to the coronavirus.  The virus is having an impact on events around the world, not just in Asian markets. Within Asia, especially China, many events have been canceled or postponed. Money20/20 Asia, originally slated for March, has been postponed til August. And today, it was announced that Mobile World Congress, the world's largest… more
Feb 11, 2020
Sustainable practices are fast becoming a must for events. According to the Eventbrite 2020 Event Trends report, 59 percent of North American event professionals are taking steps to improve the environmental impact of their events — up from a mere 6 percent in 2019.  Additionally, an overwhelming majority — or 93 percent — of hosted buyers and visitors who attended IMEX 2018 said they are interested in planning events in a more sustainable matter, according to post-event survey results. One of the ways corporations, associations, event venues and suppliers are codifying those intentions is… more
Feb 07, 2020
Upping their games to attract more meeting and convention business in an ever-more-competitive market, major U.S. convention centers are busy with renovation and expansion projects. Here’s what to watch for. Las Vegas Convention Center District Taking Shape  The 1.4 million-square-foot, $1.5 billion Las Vegas Convention Center District expansion and remodeling project is moving along on schedule. Last fall, the convention center announced it had completed more than 60 percent of the project’s Phase Two expansion, which broke ground in January 2017 and began construction in fall of 2018.… more
Feb 06, 2020
The new EIC Knowledge Hub from Events Industry Council is an online learning platform for event professionals designed to be a go-to source for the latest education, best practices, courses and trends. Besides allowing users to access the organization’s extensive education archive, the new hub complements EIC’s other educational resources, including webinars, industry research and live events. “The new hub allows current and those interested in becoming Certified Meeting Professionals the opportunity to easily access, track and advance their learning,” said Amy Calvert, CEO of EIC. “… more
Feb 05, 2020
Digitalization has been a boon for event marketers, providing new ways to automate processes, get work done from anywhere in the world, and gather more data to power better customer experiences. But there is also a negative: while attendees may want to focus on your content, there are so many digital distractions that it can be close to impossible for them to succeed. As a result, the desire for more human-to-human experiences at events is on the rise, according to Agency EA’s new 2020 Experiential Marketing Trends Report.   Anecdotal estimates put the average per-person conference attendee… more
Feb 03, 2020
Mega-events such as CES and SXSW may grab the headlines, but in their shadows are the thousands of events serving specific niches. By definition, a niche event is a highly-specialized event that focuses on a narrow market segment. Their numbers have grown in recent years and the organizations producing them have their own individual reasons, but the overarching reason is our desire for personalized experiences. Nicole Bojic, senior vice president of strategic solutions at engagement solutions agency InVision Communications, says the rise of niche events correlates directly with the rise in… more
Jan 31, 2020
Coronavirus is all over the news: Airlines are reducing flights to China or grounding flights coming from Wuhan (where the virus originated); Asia trade shows are being postponed; and on Jan. 30, the World Health Organization officially declared the virus outbreak a global health emergency. It’s nearly impossible for event professionals to avoid travel during this time, making it important to take extra precautions to stay well as world health experts work to contain the virus. Here’s what you need to know. How Coronavirus Is Transmitted For the most part, the virus was transmitted… more
Jan 30, 2020
Debuted this week at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival Haute House, Proxfinity CUE 2.0 gives event attendees an easier way to network through what company officials describe as “professionally identifiable data.” Networking is one of the biggest challenges for many event attendees. It’s not always easy to introduce yourself to a stranger, or identify who the best people are for you to talk to. Sometimes you need an ice-breaker, or a cue, to get those conversations started. Proxfinity’s new smart badge is designed to help event organizers make sparking that first connection easier for attendees… 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