Arlington, Texas is a city uniquely dedicated to sports. The city is home to AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Park, the eSports Stadium Arlington & Expo Center and Texas Live!, a sports, dining and entertainment district that opened in August 2018. Live! By Loews — Arlington, TX, which opened its doors last month, is the newest hotel to open in the district, and expands both the city’s convention and meeting capacity.

CAESARS FORUM is set to open in Las Vegas in seven months, and Caesars Entertainment has already secured more than $300 million in business for the new, 550,000-square-foot conference facility. Officials announced that in the last 18 months, more than 125 contracts for meetings and events have been signed, 75 percent of which represent new business.

Set on the bank of the Chicago River, Sheraton Grand Chicago is an impressive sight. One of the larger meeting properties in the Windy City, the hotel’s 1,218 guest rooms and suites offer views of the river, Lake Michigan or the city skyline. 

Facility leadership and show floor trade partners of Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia have signed a five-year extension and amendment of its 10-year labor agreement. The contract builds on the competitive work rules and expanded exhibitor rights initially put in place in 2014.   

The luxury 515-room JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Shanghai Pudong opened Aug. 8 as the first JW Marriott Marquis hotel in China. This builds on Marriott’s brand launch momentum in the country, as it also opened the 191-room Aloft Shanghai Zhangjiang Hotel in April.

Atlantic City has a long and rich history. The New Jersey city has been the home of the Miss America pageant since 1921, and its five-mile boardwalk, first constructed in 1890, is the oldest in the country and the longest in the world.

Best known for its casinos, boardwalk and beach, the city also has much to offer in the way of teambuilding activities. From morning yoga on the beach to a spa experience, waterfront cruise, beer pairings or chocolate making, there are plenty of options to suit any group’s needs.

With the goal of reshaping the food and beverage industry for meetings and conferences, New York Convention Center Operation Corporation (which operates Javits Center) has launched a new hospitality brand called Cultivated. Created in partnership with Levy Convention Centers and CxRA catering, Cultivated will design creative dining presentations and high-end catering for events, incorporating local ingredients from New York producers.

Greater Columbus Convention Center, managed by SMG, is now Certified Sensory Inclusive — the first convention in the convention center to earn this certification.

KultureCity, which issues the certification, is a non-profit organization based in Birmingham, Alabama, that works toward creating sensory-inclusive venues. It’s meant to assist individuals with sensory challenges, such as those with autism, dementia, PTSD and similar health concerns, navigate such venues often affected by excess noise.

Seattle is in the midst of a growth spurt. Population-wise, the city has made the top five fastest growing U.S. cities list for the past several years. In the past two years, eight new hotels have added 2,200 rooms to the city’s downtown area alone, according to Visit Seattle.

We’ve reported a lot recently on green convention centers, from LEED status to sustainability efforts in 2019. However, let’s not forget hotels, which are also doing their part to make meetings and conferences more eco-friendly.