Nov 23, 2021
When Kate Patay took the helm at SEARCH Foundation, which provides aid for event, meeting and catering professionals in crisis, little did she know that the world was on the brink of one of the worst pandemic catastrophes in history.
It was November 2019, and Patay, newly elected as chairwoman of SEARCH, which stands for special event assistance, relief and crisis help, was asked to come aboard early, since the former chair had to step away.
“Right before the biggest crisis we’ve seen in our lifetime, I took the helm to chair a crisis relief foundation, so one of the first things we looked… more
Nov 15, 2021
The flurry of new hires and promotions in the meetings industry continues unabated, particularly at destination marketing organizations this fall. Take a look at who’s landing new career opportunities or moving up the ladder:
Arlington CVB
Following a nationwide search, the Arlington CVB has tapped Brent DeRaad, current president and CEO of Visit Tucson, as its new president and CEO, effective Dec. 6. He is replacing Ron Price, who has served as the ACVB’s president and CEO since 2013. Price resigned in May to head up Visit Phoenix.
DeRaad brings more than 20 years of hospitality… more
Nov 09, 2021
Now that meetings and conventions are trickling back to an in-person format again, the question of what event food and beverage is going to look like for the foreseeable future is likely occupying the mind of many a pandemic-weary event planner these days. To find out how the last 20 months have influenced the kinds of menus events are opting to serve or forgo, we turned to the experts—in this case, 20-year culinary veteran Jen Bargisen, senior executive chef with Sodexo Live!—to find out which F&B trends are hot and which are not in this ever-evolving health and safety landscape.
What… more
Nov 04, 2021
Ask Carina Bauer about how she got into the events industry, and she’ll tell you that while she was “born into it” thanks to her father, Ray Bloom, a serial entrepreneur in the hospitality and meetings industry who founded IMEX Group in 2002, that doesn’t mean her fate was necessarily sealed.
“I actually started my career in catering, running a chain of coffee shops and later joined IMEX by accident when I stepped in to help when one of the team fell ill a year before our first IMEX in Frankfurt,” Bauer explains.
That happy accident resulted in a complete immersion into the business… more
Oct 29, 2021
Tech Giants: Banzai’s Joe Davy on Event Marketers as Heroes, the Future of Events and How to Prepare
Raised in a small university town in North Carolina, where both of his parents were English professors, Joe Davy was self-taught when it came to tech smarts, which have been top of mind for him since childhood.
“I learned to program on our 386 PC desktop at home using a manual for a Tandy 2000 computer that I found in a box of free books at my parents’ office,” he said.
Davy’s early interest in technology and programming eventually turned into an interest in business and entrepreneurship.
“I was lucky to meet a few life-changing mentors and friends who shaped me into who I am today,” he… more
Oct 25, 2021
Across the corporate meetings industry, new and established event professionals alike are continuing to find exciting career opportunities at organizations far and wide. Take a look!
Event Marketing Partners
Full-service event marketing agency Event Marketing Partners (EMP) recently promoted Tricia Daniels to president, responsible for leading the firm’s team of experienced event marketers.
Since joining EMP in 2009, Daniels has helped grow and enhance its client events by drawing on her 30 years of event and hospitality experience, including her time as convention services director at… more
Oct 07, 2021
Joyce Leveston truly understands the transformative power of the convention industry. As a recent college graduate working part-time as a telephone operator at the newly built San Diego Convention Center in 1989, she witnessed how the nascent venue was poised to transform what was then a sleepy military beach city into a highly desirable tourism and convention business destination. From then on she knew she was hooked.
“I will never forget how intrigued I was as I watched the venue being built from the ground up,” Leveston recollected. “I just wanted to be a part of something bigger than… more
Oct 04, 2021
A bevy of new hires and promotions are moving at record pace as the event, hospitality and destination marketing industries continue to forge ahead, pandemic or no pandemic. Check out who’s moving in and up at event-related organizations across the country.
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort
Bill Liedholm has been appointed general manager of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Miramar Beach, Fla, where he will serve as its ambassador while overseeing its leadership team and all day-to-day operations. As a mentor to staff, he will lead the resort team in delivering consistent, unique… more
Sep 20, 2021
While the words “startup” and “epiphany” seem to go hand-in-hand nowadays, a pivotal moment of realization is not what inspired Adam Riggs to create Frameable and build out its suite of remote-first digital experiences, including its virtual and hybrid event platform, Social hour.
“Many founder stories start with a magical ‘aha!’ moment—a sudden spark of inspiration an aspiring entrepreneur scribbles on a coffee shop napkin,” he said. “I don’t have one of those.”
What Riggs does have is an incredibly varied career that has led him to reflect on learnings from his many prior roles, including… more
Sep 13, 2021
From new leadership positions at leading organizations to management roles at new hotel properties, corporate event professionals are continuing to find fresh career opportunities as the industry forges ahead toward recovery. Here’s the latest people news to keep on your radar:
Associated Luxury Hotels International
Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) has welcomed 25-year meetings and events industry veteran Silvia Zamora as its new vice president of meeting design and experience. In this executive role, Zamora will lead and accelerate the global sales organization’s vision for… 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