Jan 17, 2022
The new year has kicked off with a bang as event-related organizations continue their hiring and promoting frenzy, filling new roles and rewarding top-performing staff with more senior titles. Take a look! Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp As part of its recent leadership restructure, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC) has made several senior level promotions and added a new marketing lead to its team. Deana Ivey has been elevated to president of the organization, while Butch Spyridon retains the title of CEO. Ivey, who has been with the organization since 1997,… more
Jan 13, 2022
If anyone knows a thing or two about navigating through disruptive times, it’s Brad Dean. In 2018, he was tapped to helm Discover Puerto Rico, the island’s first-ever destination marketing organization, following a series of natural and public health disasters, including Zika virus and hurricanes Irma and Maria.  Coming onboard the year after Hurricane Maria pummeled the island—along with its tourism industry—Dean quickly assembled a stellar team of more than 50 people at Discover Puerto Rico, leading them in a remarkable period of recovery and growth that boosted tourism 45% in the first 18… more
Jan 05, 2022
The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Foundation will once again honor and celebrate the global business events industry’s exceptional stars during this year’s PCMA Visionary Awards ceremony. The foundation has announced the 2022 Lifetime Achievement honorees, Groundbreaker Award recipient and Professional Excellence finalists.  The 2022 Visionary Awards celebration will be held March 24 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., in conjunction with the inaugural Business Events Industry Week. Created by Destinations International, the … more
Jan 03, 2022
As 2022 begins, new hires and promotions continue to take place throughout the corporate events industry. Check out who’s moving in and moving up at event-related organizations throughout the U.S.—and across the pond. Maritz  Professional services company Maritz has recently made some recent executive leadership changes. Following nearly 25 years of leading the company as CEO and chairman, Steve Maritz is transitioning into an executive chairman role, responsible for overseeing high-level functions, including finance, legal and board-related issues. David Peckinpaugh, who for 11 years has… more
Nov 30, 2021
Across the events spectrum, new appointments and promotions are continuing to happen at breakneck speed as organizations gear up for a busier and more promising 2022. Check out who’s moving onward and upward in the corporate events industry this month. Ungerboeck Global event software provider Ungerboeck has expanded its executive team and promoted several key leaders. As the company’s first CFO, Ryan Morrow will focus on building a high-performing organization that will scale with the expected growth coinciding with a recent investment from Cove Hill Partners. As a strategic advisor to… more
Nov 15, 2021
The flurry of new hires and promotions in the meetings industry continues unabated, particularly at destination marketing organizations this fall. Take a look at who’s landing new career opportunities or moving up the ladder: Arlington CVB Following a nationwide search, the Arlington CVB has tapped Brent DeRaad, current president and CEO of Visit Tucson, as its new president and CEO, effective Dec. 6. He is replacing Ron Price, who has served as the ACVB’s president and CEO since 2013. Price resigned in May to head up Visit Phoenix. DeRaad brings more than 20 years of hospitality… more
Nov 09, 2021
Now that meetings and conventions are trickling back to an in-person format again, the question of what event food and beverage is going to look like for the foreseeable future is likely occupying the mind of many a pandemic-weary event planner these days. To find out how the last 20 months have influenced the kinds of menus events are opting to serve or forgo, we turned to the experts—in this case, 20-year culinary veteran Jen Bargisen, senior executive chef with Sodexo Live!—to find out which F&B trends are hot and which are not in this ever-evolving health and safety landscape. What… more
Nov 04, 2021
Ask Carina Bauer about how she got into the events industry, and she’ll tell you that while she was “born into it” thanks to her father, Ray Bloom, a serial entrepreneur in the hospitality and meetings industry who founded IMEX Group in 2002, that doesn’t mean her fate was necessarily sealed.  “I actually started my career in catering, running a chain of coffee shops and later joined IMEX by accident when I stepped in to help when one of the team fell ill a year before our first IMEX in Frankfurt,” Bauer explains.  That happy accident resulted in a complete immersion into the business… more
Oct 25, 2021
Across the corporate meetings industry, new and established event professionals alike are continuing to find exciting career opportunities at organizations far and wide. Take a look! Event Marketing Partners Full-service event marketing agency Event Marketing Partners (EMP) recently promoted Tricia Daniels to president, responsible for leading the firm’s team of experienced event marketers.  Since joining EMP in 2009, Daniels has helped grow and enhance its client events by drawing on her 30 years of event and hospitality experience, including her time as convention services director at… more
Oct 07, 2021
Joyce Leveston truly understands the transformative power of the convention industry. As a recent college graduate working part-time as a telephone operator at the newly built San Diego Convention Center in 1989, she witnessed how the nascent venue was poised to transform what was then a sleepy military beach city into a highly desirable tourism and convention business destination. From then on she knew she was hooked. “I will never forget how intrigued I was as I watched the venue being built from the ground up,” Leveston recollected. “I just wanted to be a part of something bigger than… 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