Aug 08, 2024
In the wake of the devastating wildfires that leveled the city of Lahaina, Maui, on Aug. 8, 2023, there has been a growing curiosity about the island's recovery and readiness to welcome back group business one year later.
At the DMC Network Exchange on Aug. 1, we had the opportunity to sit down with Josh DeSilva, president of DeSilva Meeting Consultants, to get an update on the current situation in Maui, how the recovery process is unfolding, and what organizers can expect when planning their events.
Here are highlights from our conversation. Watch the full interview here.
Backstory:… more
Aug 07, 2024
On July 30, event-furniture rental giant CORT Events invited 200 industry leaders and tastemakers to a five-hour, garden-themed open house event on the 9th floor of New York City’s iconic Rockefeller Plaza. The to-do drew inspiration from the venue’s adjacent alfresco event space—where a foliage-filled oasis was a reprieve from the traffic below—and boasted setups throughout of different seating, table-and-chair, and decor arrangements for guests to both ogle over and mingle in.
Here are the five noteworthy trends that CORT chose to display, plus insights the company’s executive director of… more
Aug 02, 2024
A ruling by the United States Court of Appeals in July upheld a group's right to apply a hotel contract’s force-majeure clause and cancel a 1,200-attendee meeting without penalty. While the specifics of the case relate to COVID-pandemic restrictions, the ramifications could be broader.
“Not only was this a federal case, but it went to the Court of Appeals for the area, one rung below the U.S. Supreme Court,” said Joshua Grimes, Esq., Grimes Law Offices. “The next time there's a force-majeure cancellation lawsuit, other federal courts and even some state courts will look to this case. It… more
Aug 01, 2024
What is the secret to happiness at work? Arthur Brooks, who co-authored the 2023 No. 1 New York Times bestseller, "Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier" with Oprah Winfrey, shared strategies and insights during the opening keynote at the Destinations International Annual Convention 2024 in Tampa, Fla.
“I talk to a lot of different business groups, but not every group I talk to is a happiness business like you,” Brooks said from the main stage at the event produced by Destinations International (DI), an association for destination management professionals from… more
Jul 25, 2024
At the recent X4: The Experience Management Summit, the annual Qualtrics user event attracted 10,000 experience management (XM) professionals to the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.
With more than 18,000 organizations around the world using its platform to listen, understand, and take action on experience data, Qualtrics brought together its customer and prospect base, top corporate brass and headline speakers for three days to discuss best practices and innovations on managing and improving the customer, employee, product, and brand experience.
"X4 is a can't-miss event… more
Jul 23, 2024
PCMA and the Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe (SANCBE) are gearing up to launch Convene 4 Climate, a sustainability conference for the global business events industry. Set for Oct. 2-3 in Barcelona, the inaugural gathering is open to select participation in a workshop-based environment and aims to drive responsibility, harness the power of technology, and deliver transformative solutions to address climate change challenges.
The big picture: Convene 4 Climate’s curated programming will explore three central themes–Reimagine, Inspire, and Movement–and allow for… more
Jul 19, 2024
During planning of the 2023 edition of RiskWorld, the annual show of the Risk and Insurance Management Society, the group’s chief events and sales officer, Stuart Ruff-Lyon, CMP, DES, faced an unusual complication.
Over the event’s late-April dates at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Taylor Swift would be performing for three consecutive nights at the Mercedes-Benz Dome right next door. That translates to 80,000 revelers on the move each day, right across the parking lot from the GWCC.
As a result, “we implemented a lot of new safety and security enhancements, such as training… more
Jul 18, 2024
Want your attendees to feel good vibrations at your next corporate event? A sound bath—an ancient healing practice that's now trending big time throughout the U.S.—is one way to boost positive vibes, fostering a sense of community and social connection into a corporate event.
Before this spring, I had never participated in a sound bath, and I have to admit I was somewhat skeptical of the benefits but also curious about the craze that celebrities like Brad Pitt are using to launch new product lines instead of a traditional preview.
How it works: Typically, a sound bath involves lying in a… more
Jul 11, 2024
What’s trending in corporate events from the third-party planner perspective?
Microdosing content, bespoke experiences and renting with cause, said MCI Group Vice President Corporate Agnès Canonica (AC), who produces internal and external events for corporate clients across diverse industries, including healthcare, technology, financial and automotive.
MCI Group, which touts itself as a global next-gen platform for marketing innovation and breakthrough communication in the digital age, has 1,650 employees across offices in 60 countries, according to its website.
The 35-year-old global… more
Jul 10, 2024
Known as a hotbed of creative inspiration for those who plan events, the C2 Montreal (C2MTL) 2024 conference held in Montreal, Canada, May 21-23 featured a “layered” approach to educating attendees on neurodiversity awareness.
In the Agora, a large communal space that housed many of the festival’s activations, an interactive station called NeuroLasagna saw reps from two organizations focused on neurodiversity awareness—Better Being and Nuense—lead 15 attendees in making lasagna from scratch. The goal: “To deconstruct the prejudice that all lasagnas must be the same shape, using the metaphor… 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