News
Jul 30, 2018
Meetings, events and hospitality management technology provider Cvent has released the general availability date of its next-generation user experience for its flagship event website and online registration solution, aptly named Project Flex.
Expected to be available in October and described as “Registration Reimagined,” the new solution puts design control in the hands of event professionals and marketers who can now create completely customized, mobile-responsive event websites in a user-friendly, drag-and-drop site designer – without the need for any graphic design or web development… more
Jul 27, 2018
Napa Valley’s Clif Family Winery is on the main drag on Route 128 in St. Helena, Calif. — just a block away from the well-known Gott’s Roadside (known as Taylor’s Refresher for its first 50 years) drive-in eatery.
From the outside, the building looks like a family home, surrounded by a decent size parking lot and a few small businesses. It’s not ostentatious, like many of the area wineries, so is easy to miss as you are driving by.
Those who do stop will be pleasantly surprised. Inside, the building has a European-inspired flair, featuring artwork showcasing both Italy and bicycles, a… more
Jul 26, 2018
The Corporate Event Marketing Association’s CEMA Summit 2018 was held July 22-24 at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
Prior to the event, each CEMA board member was assigned as an “ambassador” for a group of first-time registrants, reaching out via email. A special first-timers reception onsite helped ensure that everyone felt welcomed. Despite the fact that I already knew quite a few of the attendees, as a first-time Summit-goer I very much appreciated that extra level of care.
Angie Smith, CEMA Chairwoman, opened the CEMA Summit educational program by talking about… more
Jul 25, 2018
Atlanta, Georgia’s Cobb Galleria Centre recently completed a major renovation of one of its event spaces, the Gallery.
The Cobb Galleria Centre is located in the 88-acre Galleria complex in northwest Atlanta. Cobb Galleria Centre is offers 320,000 square feet of event space, four exhibition halls, 20 meeting rooms, four executive boardrooms and a grand ballroom.
The 5,500 sq. ft. Gallery is located within the Galleria Specialty Shops near Cobb Galleria Centre’s exhibition hall, ballroom and meeting space. It can accommodate up to 450 guests for a reception or 270 people for a seated banquet… more
Jul 23, 2018
The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) has released the fourth and final report in its new How to Grow Attendance series for event attendee marketers.
By uncovering attendee marketer commitments to improve existing approaches and evolve with fast-changing marketing norms, Report Four: Plans on Where to Improve Approach in Near-term Future offers a look at the most popular marketing approaches and the characteristics that are tied to success in attendee growth.
“This is the last report in the series,” explained Nancy Drapeau, CEIR senior research director. “It provides marketers… more
Jul 19, 2018
Puerto Rico’s newly established destination marketing organization has been officially dubbed Discover Puerto Rico.
Established July 1, the new DMO will be responsible for all global marketing, sales and promotion of Puerto Rico as a premier destination for leisure and business travelers.
Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico, unveiled the new name during the Destinations International Annual Convention. The yearly gathering, which was most recently held July 10-13 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, attracts more than 1,600 destination marketing and management… more
Jul 18, 2018
Community Brands, a provider of cloud-based software solutions for associations, nonprofits, schools and faith-based groups, has entered into a partnership with Pathable, provider of mobile event apps, conference apps and websites for meetings, conferences and trade shows.
Following Community Brands’ recent acquisition of event technology company, Expo Logic, the new partnership with Pathable and its mobile event app technology is designed to further strengthen the Community Brands event management suite as an end-to-end solution while enabling organizations to improve the event attendee… more
Jul 17, 2018
On July 16, Caesars Entertainment Corporation broke ground on its newest development: the CAESARS FORUM Las Vegas conference center. Slated to open in 2020, the venue will feature 550,000 square feet of flexible meeting, event and convention space.
As the emcee for the ground breaking ceremony, Roger Dow, president and CEO of U.S. Travel Association and long-time meetings industry veteran, spoke about how when he was first starting in the industry, the meetings market was an afterthought for Las Vegas. Forty years later, the city is now the leading destination for meetings within the U.S… more
Jul 16, 2018
Registration is now open for SPINCon, the annual conference produced by SPIN: Senior Planners Industry Network. SPIN is the world’s largest association limited to senior-level planners with at least 10 years full-time planning experience.
SPINCon 2018 will be held Nov. 11-13, 2018 at The Don CeSar, a landmark hotel affectionately known as “The Pink Palace," in St. Petersburg, Florida.
“Each year SPINCon focuses on the whole person: brain, body, being and business," said SPIN’s executive director, Tracey Smith.
She added, “This year, we are excited that the content has been curated by… more
Jul 12, 2018
I attended Meeting Professionals International (MPI)’s 2018 World Education Congress (WEC) last month in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was my first time in both the state and the city, and I was favorably impressed by the location, the conference and the local destination management organization (DMO), Visit Indy.
While I was onsite, I spoke with Susie Townsend, Visit Indy’s senior vice president of visitor experience, about Visit Indy and how they partnered with MPI for WEC. Townsend has been with the organization for 29 years, so has a rich history and knowledge of the events industry and DMO… 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