Aug 15, 2023
Held Aug. 6-8 at the Hyatt Regency Salt Lake, the 2023 Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA) Summit drew more than 500 attendees, up from 455 in 2022. Here are 10 trends we saw and heard at #CEMASummit2023, powered by PCMA.
Peer-to-peer learning. Even during sessions with panels, attendees were encouraged to discuss scenarios, as well as share challenges and solutions. For example, during the session, “Design Lab: Guiding Principles in Experience Design,” attendees shared ideas about event strategies for awareness, registration, anticipation, arrival, content, connection, activation… more
Aug 11, 2023
The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) Foundation has established the No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) Advisory Council as part of its No Room for Trafficking program, which works to prevent human trafficking and support survivors.
NRFT Advisory Council efforts include the development and oversight of the NRFT Survivor Fund, which provides community-based organizations with the resources they need to engage and support the survivors of human trafficking.
Council members will help champion and shape the hotel industry’s unified efforts to support human trafficking survivors with… more
Aug 07, 2023
After more than nine years of planning, including a three-year feasibility period demonstrating significant demand from convention clients, the city of Indianapolis is about to get a larger convention center and a new 800-room headquarter hotel.
On Aug. 1, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and Visit Indy President and CEO Leonard Hoops were joined by community leaders, project representatives and some of the city’s largest convention clients for a groundbreaking celebration of the sixth expansion of the Indiana Convention Center (ICC) and construction of a new Hilton convention hotel.
Key… more
Aug 04, 2023
Oak View Group (OVG), which takes over venue management for Chicago’s McCormick Place on Oct. 1, named veteran convention and hospitality executive Samuel Thomas Jr. as senior vice president and general manager of the campus, which includes McCormick Place, featuring 2.6 million square feet of exhibition space, the 10,000-seat Wintrust Arena and the 4,249-seat Arie Crown Theater.
Thomas, who will relocate to Chicago from Washington, D.C., where he was executive vice president and chief operating officer of Events DC, will begin his new role the first week of September.
McCormick Place… more
Jul 24, 2023
Destinations International (DI), the leading global resource for official destination organizations and convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs), recently announced significant growth in its membership. The organization now represents 26 countries and territories, with more than 700 members worldwide.
The announcement was made on July 18 at the Destinations International Annual Convention by DI President and CEO Don Welsh, who highlighted the importance of a strong member community and the power of travel in fostering connections across the globe.
“Destinations International exists for the… more
Jul 22, 2023
Promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has become a vital aspect of organizing events – from hiring speakers to creating event content to securing sponsors and more. But what about designing the food and beverage offerings at events?
We checked in with Tracy Stuckrath, founder and president of thrive! meetings & events and host of the Eating at a Meeting podcast, who offered some keen insights on the importance of DEI in event catering.
Inclusivity is what inspired Stuckrath to start her business in 2010, when a personal health journey changed the course of her career.
“I was… more
Jul 13, 2023
The meetings industry has gone through unprecedented times in recent years, and as it transforms and moves well beyond the pandemic, the future is looking bright for a robust recovery, although predicting trends moving forward is no easy task. Enter the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC), the global association representing the top 1 percent of small to midsize conference and meeting venues, which recently released the 2023 Meeting Room of the Future Report. The findings detail top trends that will shape the future for conferences, meetings and events of up to 250… more
Jul 10, 2023
As Meeting Professionals International’s (MPI) signature annual North American event, the World Education Congress (WEC) makes a point of taking transparent and calculated risks to showcase how event professionals can deliver premium event experiences while providing them with top-notch education powered by the MPI Academy and business-building networking through its Hosted Buyer program and on-site events. This year’s WEC, held June 13-15 at the Barceló Maya Resort in the Mexican Caribbean, was no exception.
Now in its 27th year, the award-winning event showcased how business learnings and… more
Jun 22, 2023
The importance of making the events industry more inclusive and welcoming to all continues to be a major talking point. With June being Pride Month, it’s an opportune time to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and reflect on the industry’s accomplishments and ways to overcome obstacles that it continues to confront.
We checked in with four leading event professionals to find out what their organizations are doing to be more inclusive of the LGBTQIA+ community, how they are making their events more inclusive, the major challenges within the industry, how they are personally honoring Pride… more
Jun 15, 2023
Nearly 100 industry leaders from 24 states — including representatives from event, venue and destination organizations including IAEE, Visit Orlando, Venetian Resort Las Vegas, PCMA, MGM Resorts International, Visit Anaheim and many more — gathered on June 1 on Capitol Hill for Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance (ECA) Legislative Action Day. View the full list of attendees here.
During more than 100 meetings, Legislative Action Day attendees advocated for ECA’s federal public policy priorities and the vital role that the business events industry plays in helping to spur economic growth,… more
Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is renowned for its exceptional service and diverse venue options across Las Vegas, Detroit, Springfield, National Harbor, Biloxi, and Atlantic City, providing flexible spaces for meetings of any size. Beyond these offerings, MGM Resorts distinguishes itself through a strong commitment to social responsibility and sustainability, making it an ideal choice for your next meeting.
At the core of MGM Resorts' company values is its platform, "Focused on What Matters," dedicated to meeting customer needs while advancing socially responsible practices. This commitment is evident more