News
Mar 26, 2018
When a top leader makes his grand entrance to Walk the Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance with Me,” you know it’s going to be a fun conference. Indeed, Chris Cahill, CEO of luxury brands for AccorHotels, set the stage for a creative four days of meetings, talks and workshops at the brand’s seventh annual Global Meetings Exchange (GME), held Feb. 28-Mar. 3 in Montreal.
It was the first time the event has been held in North America, and to some meeting planners and media in attendance, their first in-depth exposure to the brand. Meetings managers who primarily coordinate domestic events may be… more
Mar 22, 2018
April 12 marks Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) 2018. GMID is a day for event professionals to celebrate the industry and reflect on the positive impact that meetings and events have – not just for business, but also for communities and individuals.
The GMID 2018 slogan is “Real results, real impact, all around the world,” and in this spirit, leaders from across the industry are coming together to host and attend events that honor the power of face-to-face meetings.
In 2016, the community came together to crowdsource lyrics for a GMID anthem. In 2017, the team at SongDivision put… more
Mar 21, 2018
A recent industry-wide survey from iJET International showed a lower-than-expected focus on preparedness around meetings and events. The resulting report reveals that most organizations and companies in this space are not meeting minimum standards of risk management protocols for attendees.
The survey was sent to approximately 6,000 meeting planners, meeting planning companies, and meeting and event decision-makers from corporations, iJET stated. More than 400 responses were received.
Key findings include:
Of the 64 percent of respondents currently with a business travel risk management… more
Mar 20, 2018
In 2017, Canada earned three of the top five spots in The Economist’s list of most livable cities worldwide. Many event planners are familiar with Vancouver and Toronto but are perhaps less familiar with the third city named to the list: Calgary.
Calgary sits in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, near arguably some of the best skiing in the world. It has become a technology hub, housing more tech start-ups than any other Canadian city. It’s also gaining traction as a destination for business conventions and events.
The largest event venue in Calgary is the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre… more
Mar 19, 2018
A new research report on “The Rise of Midsize Cities in the Meetings Industry” in North America and Europe, commissioned by the IMEX Group and developed by Skift, examines how some midsize cities have positioned themselves as hubs for innovation or knowledge.
The 44-page report covers how smaller cities have elevated their destination appeal through leveraging their local economies, tapping into innovation and developing multi-partner coalitions and new experiences designed to attract meeting and convention groups.
The report claims that two primary factors are driving the shift towards mid… more
Mar 15, 2018
Fairmont Austin, the brand’s second largest property worldwide, opened its doors on Mar. 5 – just in time for the 2018 South by Southwest conference and festival.
The long-anticipated property, initially scheduled to open in June of last year, supersedes the J.W. Marriott Austin as the largest hotel in Central Texas. It is also now the largest Fairmont hotel in the U.S.
With 1,045 guest rooms, nearly 140,000 square feet of meeting space and direct access to the Austin Convention Center via an elevated walkway branded as “Red River Canopy Walk,” the hotel will appeal to many organizations… more
Mar 14, 2018
South By Southwest (#SXSW) with its thousands of attendees in the interactive, tech, film and music industries is THE place for brands to roll out the red carpet and show off their latest launches.
This year’s event, held annually in Austin, Texas, did not disappoint, with several companies spending some serious cash to ensure they left an impression.
The ones that hit it out of the park took the time to figure out an actual ‘experience’ that attendees would have, something that trade show and event organizers, as well as exhibitors, could take a page from.
Here are the brand activations… more
Mar 13, 2018
Eventcore, a provider of enterprise-level event registration and technology solutions, recently completed a $4.1 million growth capital financing initiative. The funding will be used to accelerate sales and marketing and enhance product development to better serve the corporate events industry.
The Seattle-based company was founded in the mid-1980s. It provides customized technical solutions and professional services for event registration, housing, content management and attendee engagement.
With this investment, eventcore plans to upgrade many of its internal systems and unveil several… more
Mar 12, 2018
The city of Louisville, Ky., has added another high-end brand to its growing portfolio of hotel properties, in this case, a $300 million development designed to attract larger conventions and more leisure travelers to the Derby City.
Featuring 612 guest rooms, 226 apartments and 70,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, the Omni Louisville Hotel opened its doors ahead of schedule on March 6 with a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration headlined by Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, Gov. Matt Bevin, Omni Hotels & Resorts owner Bob Rowling and Omni Louisville General Manager Scott… more
Mar 08, 2018
People want to work smarter, not harder: leveraging technology to reduce repetitive administrative tasks seems like a clear path to getting there. Potential applications of artificial intelligence (AI) within the events industry also focus on the win-win concept of gathering data to provide an improved, personalized customer experience.
Sciensio promises all of that with their EventBot chatbot, specifically developed for events. One might even be tempted to say “who” was developed for events: it is easy to personify the technology. Event organizers can give the bot a name, specific tone (for… 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