News

Feb 01, 2019
“Event marketing” is a term that crops up most frequently in the corporate event sector, perhaps because most corporate event planners or event managers sit within a marketing department. But there is some confusion over what exactly event marketing entails. There are many forms of event marketing in the corporate space. It’s not only marketing the event itself, although that is a piece of it. It’s also about how you portray your brand at or within an event and how you engage with your audience. The lines between event planning, event management and event marketing are often blurred. Even… more
Jan 31, 2019
Portland, Ore. is rising to the top of the list for many corporations looking for a new destination for their events. Known for its coffee shops, doughnuts, microbreweries, Powell’s bookstore and men with beards, Portland is the largest city in the state. It’s also known for its parks, being environmentally friendly and for the “Keep Portland Weird” counterculture, lovingly ridiculed in the sketch-comedy television show “Portlandia.” In addition, Portland is home to a growing number of technology companies, including tech giant Amazon, which continues to expand its presence within the city… more
Jan 30, 2019
It’s late; you’ve skipped dinner, again; and the hotel mini bar beckons. What will it be: overpriced potato chips, M&Ms, or maybe both? With a little advance planning, you could have prevented the strike of nighttime hunger — and perhaps a multitude of health issues down the road. While more research is needed on humans to determine whether calories eaten are night are more likely to cause weight gain than the same number of calories consumed during the day (as one study conducted on mice by Northwestern University suggested), there’s no question that making poor eating choices at night… more
Jan 28, 2019
We’ve all been to corporate team building events that brought us closer with colleagues and reinvigorated our teams to work toward our common goals. Then we’ve been to others that fall flat, appearing “lame” or a waste of valuable professional or personal time. When corporations develop team building events, it often falls primarily on the event planner to ensure the experience is positive. Start with the Basics Karla Singson, CEO of PREP - PR, Events and Promotions, says effective team building events have three basic ingredients. “They should be good for fostering teamwork and friendship… more
Jan 25, 2019
The greater Dallas area has a new spot for meetings and conventions: Delta Hotels by Marriott Dallas Allen and Watters Creek Convention Center, which debuted in January. Located 30 minutes north of Dallas and 30 miles from DFW International and Love Field airports, the new facility is the first four-star, full-service hotel and convention center in Allen and one of the largest facilities of its kind in North Texas. With 90,000 square feet of flexible meeting and convention space, the Watters Creek Convention Center can accommodate gatherings of up to 1,000 attendees. It offers 23 meeting… more
Jan 24, 2019
You know the drill: Touch down in your destination, immediately bring up your Uber app to get a ride to your hotel, set down your suitcase and get right to work. Between site visits, responding to emails, answering incessant phone calls and putting out all the fires that go along with managing a meeting, you barely have time to eat, let alone meditate. Yet when you’re on the road — perhaps with elevated anxiety levels from the stress of your job, and guilt over missing out on family life for a few days — taking time to pause and hit your own personal reset button can make a big difference in… more
Jan 22, 2019
The events industry is financially healthy — and growing, according to a new report from Eventbrite. The global ticketing and event technology platform company has released its annual Pulse Report, which aggregates survey data from more than 1,200 event professionals based in the U.S. and Canada. Approximately one third of the participants organize business events. Katie Sawyer, Eventbrite’s head of content, said the interactive report is designed to help event professionals be more successful. “The data provides the insights they need to make smart decisions about hiring, budget and… more
Jan 21, 2019
We recently wrote about some of the new developments in Washington D.C. that are making the city even more attractive as an event destination. But with the U.S. government shutdown in effect, which has already stretched longer than any other in history, many event organizers are concerned about how this might impact their meeting programs. Destination DC has been actively campaigning to let the world know that the city is open for business and ready to welcome both meetings and leisure travelers. The “DC is Open” campaign was first launched in October 2013, during a previous shutdown, and… more
Jan 18, 2019
We’re already a few weeks into 2019, and if you’re like most people, your New Year’s resolutions to create a better work-life balance may already have gotten pushed to the wayside. Life happens; we get it — not to mention, work-life balance can feel especially out of reach to those in the events industry, where long, irregular hours and frequent “fires” can make you feel like you’re not in control of your time. Yet there are ways to gain back that control and make this the year you finally feel you’re creating a sense of equilibrium in your professional and personal lives. We spoke with work… more
Jan 17, 2019
From black box spaces to renovated castles to cinemas, there are unique and transformative spaces around the globe. This ongoing series of articles highlights a few of the many options available for corporate events. When people think of transformative, they typically think of a black box, or an empty warehouse. But the broader definition of transformative is “to cause a marked change in someone or something.” When planners are looking for a unique venue, one of the objectives is that it must provide a memorable experience for attendees — one that will live on when the event is long past.… more
Partner Voices
  MGM Resorts is renowned for its exceptional service and diverse venue options across Las Vegas, Detroit, Springfield, National Harbor, Biloxi, and Atlantic City, providing flexible spaces for meetings of any size. Beyond these offerings, MGM Resorts distinguishes itself through a strong commitment to social responsibility and sustainability, making it an ideal choice for your next meeting.  At the core of MGM Resorts' company values is its platform, "Focused on What Matters," dedicated to meeting customer needs while advancing socially responsible practices. This commitment is evident more