News
Sep 06, 2024
A record number of business event professionals are now working full-time as freelancers, according to a recent study designed to highlight the motivations, demographics, and work values of independent workers in the events industry.
In fact, across all industries, the independent workforce trend has significantly increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, with 36% of the U.S. workforce across all industries engaging in freelance work in 2023, an increase of 4 million total professionals from 2022, according to a December 2023 study conducted by leading online freelance marketplace Upwork. … more
Sep 06, 2024
Celebrating its centennial anniversary in 2024, Ace Hardware Corp. hosted its largest Fall Convention in history, attracting more than 18,000 retailers, employees, and vendors to McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, according to Ace. Held Aug. 8-10—just prior to the Democratic National Convention—the Ace Hardware Fall 2024 Convention not only set records in total attendance but also in total representation from retailers and stores.
As the company turns 100, Ace continues to grow—not shrink—the number of retail locations. "During the quarter, we added our 5,000th store and are on… more
Sep 05, 2024
New meetings hotel properties are continuing to pop up on the Kansas City hospitality scene, offering upscale accommodations, dining, amenities, and plentiful meeting space for event planners to choose from. Since October 2023, two new meetings hotels have opened in the destination, with two more set to open this fall—for a total of 652 new hotel rooms.
These new rooms are a welcome addition to Kansas City’s hotel inventory that features myriad upscale accommodations available to meeting and event groups across the city, said Nathan Hermiston, senior vice president of convention sales and… more
Sep 04, 2024
Multi-year contracts with labor union UNITE HERE have expired at hotels across the country, and repercussions are starting to be felt. At least 10,000 unionized hotel employees—housekeepers, front-desk clerks, kitchen and restaurant staffers, bartenders, and bellhops—from 25 hotels in 10 cities stayed home from their jobs between August 29 and September 3.
First, more than 700 employees at the Virgin Las Vegas stood outside the hotel on August 29 to chant and picket in support of a new five-year contract. The workers had also walked out for 48 hours in mid-May to protest not having a new… more
Sep 03, 2024
At events, capturing memorable moments is more important than ever. In a recent interview for Tech Talk, CEN’s Danica Tormohlen sat down with Jonathan Jow, director of strategy for BoothEasy, to delve into how the company is elevating event experiences with its instant photo and video services.
For event organizers looking to not only raise the bar on the attendee experience but also create FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) on social channels, photo and videos services like BoothEasy offer a compelling blend of technology and creativity to make every moment count.
At the recent DMC Network… more
Aug 30, 2024
From LED dance floors and AI Ping Pong to branded bar carts and immersive floral walls, event activations are a powerful way to engage attendees and create memorable experiences that are also Instagram-worthy.
At the recent corporate event hosted by Shepard Expositions, SandboxLIVE attracted 150 industry partners, speakers, customers, and prospective customers. Established in 1905 in Atlanta, the employee-owned trade show contracting company brought these activations and more to life July 15-17 at the Loews Atlanta Hotel in midtown Atlanta.
Taylor Elliot, Shepard“It's all about getting… more
Aug 29, 2024
Following a topping-out ceremony in mid-July, the newest hospitality addition to the Shreveport-Bossier City area is on track to debut in Q1 2025.
Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana will be a 545-room hotel, meeting venue, and casino in Bossier City, on the eastern bank of the Red River. Less than two miles from downtown Shreveport, the property will bring the first land-based casino to a region known for having riverboat casinos set dockside near land-based hotels.
For business groups, the hotel has a 25,000-square-foot meeting and conference center away from the casino floor that features… more
Aug 27, 2024
Following its initial announcement on November 7 of last year, premium live experiences company Legends has completed the acquisition of live events and venue management company ASM Global. Announced on August 23, the finalized deal combines two leading premium live events companies while expanding Legends’ services portfolio and geographic reach across five continents.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, and ASM Global will continue to operate under its name for the time being.
With this acquisition, ASM Global’s venue strategy and management capabilities are poised to… more
Aug 26, 2024
After 25 years of operating as a non-union hotel-resort and convention center, The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, which encompasses The Venetian and The Palazzo on the Las Vegas Strip, has established a tentative agreement with Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 on a new four-year contract covering more than 4,000 employees in the resorts’ food, beverage, housekeeping, bar, lounge, and bell departments.
Reached in the early hours of August 20, the milestone contract contains standard union protections that the Culinary Union has negotiated and won over its 89-year… more
Aug 23, 2024
Corporate event planners are constantly challenged with going above and beyond their last event, especially when it comes to creating more immersive environments designed to deepen attendee engagement and foster brand recognition. In this never-ending quest to generate a more profound “wow” factor at face-to-face events, planners can look to their staging and production partners to create innovative experiential activations and environments via the latest technology.
To get the inside scoop on what’s trending in creative technical production innovations for events, we consulted Ariane… more
Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.
Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is more