Oct 15, 2020
If you’ve ever stayed in a hotel such as Acqualina Resort in Miami, Waldorf Astoria in Chicago or Conrad New York Downtown, you may have noticed a fresh collection of books on the nightstand. You have a company called Bedside Reading to thank for that. Started by Jane Ubell-Meyer, this program places new books from every major publisher, as well as independent publishers and self-published authors, for guests to read (or take) for free in hotel rooms. Books change out monthly and are tailored to the hotel’s demographic, meaning guests have the opportunity to gain a fresh read every time they… more
Sep 24, 2020
For more than 20 years, the Black Hat USA conference has brought together attendees from the world of cybersecurity research, development and trends. As with many other live events, this year’s conference — originally scheduled for Aug. 1-6 in Las Vegas — was held virtually for the first time in response to the pandemic. Transferring the content was one thing; translating the usual end-of-conference party was a challenge in itself.
Conference organizers and cybersecurity company Rapid 7, which sponsored the party, wanted to create a similarly immersive experience in a virtual setting. To do… more
Jul 24, 2020
As the event industry slowly begins to creep back, smaller venues are particularly well-suited to host gatherings, as groups often have the entire space to themselves and can limit the number of people that attendees come into contact with. This was a fact that the U.S. Census Bureau event team took into consideration when rebooking several job training sessions that had previously been canceled because of COVID-19.
Anthony Thornton, Census field operations manager, first reached out to Quorum at the University City Science Center in Philadelphia in June. This newly expanded space, which now… more
Jul 20, 2020
PCMA last week released “Business Events Compass,” an actionable framework of insights and strategies for business event professionals and their business partners to guide their careers and businesses during the pandemic and beyond.
The PCMA Foundation-funded service and inaugural report provides research-based insights on geographic and industry sector business events recovery opportunities, as well as recommendations for the evolution of participant engagement, business models and expected reskilling needs.
“In the spring I stated that our industry needs to be a part of the solution and… more
Jul 14, 2020
As exhibitions and events grapple with how they are going to lay out their exhibit floors, meeting rooms and banquet areas, The Expo Group released a Crowd Density Calculator that can be used by anyone seeking to better understand their attendee-to-square-footage capacity.
A free widget also has made available to the industry.
“As we start moving forward together with industry guidelines, our team saw an opportunity to ease the way for others in the industry with these online calculators,” said Randy Pekowski, The Expo Group’s president and COO.
He added, “We invite everyone to try it out… more
Jul 13, 2020
The road back to hosting live events is hitting speed bumps, according to a recent survey conducted by New York City-based Engine Insights. The findings of its July 5 “Pulse of the Consumer & COVID-19” found the surge in cases of the coronavirus continues to impact people’s willingness to attend events — with just 15 percent of those polled indicating they would be willing to attend a large scale indoor event such as a convention or concert.
“With more than 80 percent of Americans concerned about the recent spike in coronavirus infections and more than three-quarters of the opinion that… more
Jul 06, 2020
Self-service event app and event data management company Attendify has launched a new offering, Attendify for Virtual Events, that aims to transform the in-person, virtual and hybrid event experience.
According to company officials, Attendify’s goal for its new platform is to help make the industry resilient. Whether it’s a future economic shock, another health crisis or a major industry strike, the event industry can’t be as susceptible to future shocks that are completely out of an organizer’s control. Through Attendify for Virtual Events, event organizers can build out a modern virtual… more
Jun 25, 2020
Each spring, CoinDesk, a media platform providing news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and blockchain technology, produces an event called Consensus. The three-day conference and expo is part of New York City’s Blockchain Week, which typically attracts more than 12,000 attendees.
This year, COVID-19 forced all that to change, so CoinDesk made the decision to pivot the event to a digital format. The newly renamed Consensus: Distributed was held May 11-15 and underwent a unique transformation to go along with the new format.
“Once a transition to a virtual event was… more
Jun 19, 2020
As he watched the pandemic wreak havoc on the corporate events industry, Chris Greenslade, principal for the Charleston, S.C.-based CSG Meetings Management and Consulting, noticed that many of the suppliers involved in a planner’s traditional network either temporarily downsized or went out of business altogether. This left corporate planners without their usual support system as they navigated the challenges of either renegotiating their events or reworking them into a virtual or hybrid version.
The void this created led to a partnership between Greenslade’s company and two other… more
Jun 12, 2020
Held twice a year, Verizon Media’s flagship Build It event introduces the company’s employees from around the world to its new products and services through a mix of interactive brand experiences and inspiring keynote speakers. The event traditionally takes place at five Verizon Media campuses (four in the United States and one in London) and is also live streamed to their global offices. The most recent Build It was scheduled for April 2 but by the second week of March — with the world shutting down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic — it was obvious they were not going to be able to hold… 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