Dec 29, 2020
One of the biggest challenges facing event planners as the world reopens are the inconsistencies between states regarding health and safety guidelines. The difference between say Florida and California are worlds apart. Trying to keep it all straight adds to the already stressful job of putting on meetings, conferences and trade shows.
Meetings Mean Business, the industry-wide coalition focused on advocacy, is trying to simplify the learning curve. Its new Meet Safe platform is a portal for event organizers to share recent experiences. A re-opening tracker is another valuable information… more
Dec 23, 2020
Convention centers across the country are making way for hybrid meetings and events. Renowned facilities looking ahead to 2021 and beyond have repurposed spaces to become virtual studios, complete with state-of-the-art AV equipment for digital and in-person presentations.
“While hybrid meetings are not new in our industry, the demand for them has increased dramatically due to this pandemic, forcing meeting and event planners to make adjustments to their events to continue to address the needs of their members and attendees who will not be ready to travel anytime soon,” said Tim Muldoon,… more
Dec 22, 2020
Shy Coleman, Sales Executive for W Scottsdale, is accustomed to relatively short turnarounds, from groups booking to use the Arizona property to the actual event. Three months lead-time is typical normally.
But the world remains in the “new abnormal” now, particularly in the corporate events industry. Months have turned into weeks, if not days, as corporations wait until as close to a gathering as possible to reserve rooms and event space—to limit the chances of cancelling over a new spike in coronavirus cases.
“It's been a whirlwind of a year,” Coleman said. “I guess that’s the… more
Dec 21, 2020
All of us could use some reasons to smile these days. Exhibitpro, a New Albany, Ohio-based creative experience company, has come up with a clever way to turn frowns upside down while supporting small businesses in its local community.
The company recently unveiled its “Keep Your City Smiling” boxes featuring curated products from Columbus-area small businesses that have been hurting from lack of traffic, sales and revenue since the onset of COVID-19 and its economic fallout.
The creative brainchild of Snapbar CEO and Co-founder Sam Eitzen, the “Keep Your City Smiling” initiative was… more
Dec 17, 2020
Swapcard, an AI-powered engagement and matchmaking platform for events, announced the launch of their second in-house 3-day virtual event and show, Evolve 2.0, which will be held from February 23-25, 2021.
To attend, please register HERE.
Following the success of their first virtual event back in May 2020, Evolve: The Virtual Event for Planners, which built a community of more than 4,000 event professionals, Swapcard made the move towards a 365 platform with the Evolve Community Series.
The team has continued to release new content monthly and the community has continued to grow and… more
Dec 14, 2020
If the goal of the IBTM World Virtual 2020 was to provide momentum going into next year, it’s mission was accomplished.
About 8,300 event professionals convened online to hold nearly 13,000 business meetings during the three-day event. Thirty percent of hosted buyers were new to IBTM’s slate of events.
Most impressively, early indications are that the experience was seamless despite challenges of uniting attendees from across the globe in different time zones.
“The platform offered during IBTM World Virtual was excellent: easy to use, and the idea of sending the business card was a plus,”… more
Dec 10, 2020
'Tis the season for holiday work parties! In line with most of 2020, the festivities are going to look and feel quite a bit different. Why not one last Zoom call to ring out the year?
The challenge facing event planners is overcoming the most complicated aspect of virtual events—creating engaging teambuilding activities—so the party feels…well, like a party. After all, the ROI on a virtual gala is quite a bit different than an in-person event.
Networking and teambuilding are items 1) and 1a) on the agenda. The goal is to have fun and escape, albeit momentarily, the joys of working with… more
Dec 09, 2020
The Corporate Event Marketing Association, the premier community for event marketers, has been acquired by PCMA as a new, wholly-owned division.
The deal between the two organizations was signed after CEMA members voted overwhelmingly in favor of the acquisition. According to PCMA officials, the move will propel both organizations into an exciting new chapter as businesses and organizations adjust to the evolving role of business events in an omnichannel world.
“CEMA has been a leader in the event marketing space for more than three decades,” said Sherrif Karamat, PCMA president and CEO. “… more
Dec 07, 2020
Trade Show News Network (TSNN) a thrilled to welcome Matt Swenson on board as editorial director.
Swenson will be overseeing TSNN, the top online news source in the trade show industry, as well as Corporate Event News, for corporate event planners.
“Matt has a strong background in not only journalism, but also the meetings and events industry,” said EVP of Business Development, Tarsus US and Tarsus Media President Rachel Wimberly.
She added, “The TSNN and Corporate Event News teams are excited to work with Matt and look forward to providing high-quality content to our extensive audiences… more
Dec 07, 2020
In an effort to speed the pace of recovery in Indianapolis, Visit Indy has pooled together its tech partners to offer discounted prices for citywide hybrid meetings.
The CVB says it is the first in the nation to present citywide discounts on audiovisual and WiFi. Planners who take advantage of the offer can receive 25 percent off WiFi and 10 percent off AV equipment. Thirteen venues, including Indiana Convention Center and a mix of hotels, are participating.
Visit Indy’s discount is available for events booked by the end of next year and held by Dec. 31, 2022.
As a destination designed… 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