News

Apr 18, 2022
Circa Resort & Casino, downtown Las Vegas’ first new ground-up casino resort in four decades, is gearing up to debut 35,000 square feet of meeting and convention space in September. The opening of the new event space marks the next phase in the resort’s evolution, designed to deliver a completely new option for planners seeking an upscale and lively Las Vegas experience off the Strip, according to Circa Resort officials. Available to book immediately, Circa’s customizable meeting and convention offerings will feature a ballroom, breakout rooms and banquet space, adjacent pre-function… more
Apr 15, 2022
As the vibrant annual National Cherry Blossom Festival comes to a close this month, Washington, D.C., continues to bloom with a prosperous business events scene—expected to thrive throughout 2022—and a wealth of new developments. The nation's capital is well on the road to recovery as the industry moves out of the pandemic, and it has a positive outlook for the full return of meetings, conventions and trade shows, according to Elliott Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination DC (DDC). “In a good year, we host north of 20 city-wide conventions,” Ferguson said. “Last year, we had four, and… more
Apr 14, 2022
As the non-profit fundraising arm of Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the largest global meetings and event industry association, the MPI Foundation (MPIF) serves an important purpose: to fund grants, scholarships and pan-industry research in support of the global meeting and event industry. But when the increasing humanitarian crisis resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began to take shape, the MPIF joined many event industry organizations in seeking an appropriate means to provide aid during the crisis. According to MPI officials, since its joint board meeting on March 1,… more
Apr 13, 2022
Technology is continuing to transform the events industry with some of the most innovative events, products and ideas. Take a look at the latest happenings! Hubilo Leading event tech company Hubilo recently united 1,000-plus attendees for MIX 2022 (Mastering Immersive Events), its first-ever global hybrid gathering, which spanned three continents and 25 time zones. The two-day event, which took place March 30-31 virtually and in-person, with live events in San Francisco, New York, London and Bangalore, was designed to show event professionals how to create immersive hybrid events at scale… more
Apr 11, 2022
Event planners interested in creating more engaging events with the help of new technologies and strategies can join the Event Leadership Institute’s first Innovation & Engagement Summit, set for April 20 and kicking off at 11 a.m. EDT. During this half-day virtual event, participants will have a chance to gain insights from A-list industry leaders and speakers about future trends, evolving event technologies and innovative engagement tools that can help them reinvent and reimagine events.  Presented in partnership with Meeting Professionals International, the online experience will also… more
Apr 08, 2022
Bizzabo, the Event Experience Operating System (OS), unveiled the Global Event Center of Excellence, a dedicated division providing event expertise, education and resources for event professionals. The division will curate and share best practices and big picture insights via events, webinars, workshops, templates, tool kits and other pieces of content.  The aim of the new center is to help event professionals, regardless of experience level, excel by offering the training and knowledge they need to orchestrate exceptional, best-in-class event experiences, according to Devin Cleary, vice… more
Apr 07, 2022
Hotels and event-related organizations throughout the country are scooping up new team members and elevating executives as the hiring frenzy across the events and hospitality industries continues unabated. Check them out! ​​Visit Seattle  Following a nationwide search, Visit Seattle and its board of directors have tapped hospitality veteran Tammy Blount-Canavan to be its president and CEO, starting May 9. As Visit Seattle’s first female CEO, she replaces 15-year leader Tom Norwalk, who retired earlier this spring. With a rich leadership history spanning two countries and three decades,… more
Apr 06, 2022
Sherrif Karamat is a life-long learner with an impressive list of credentials—an MBA and post-graduate certificates in business, management, strategic negotiations, data intelligence and big data, to name a few. But some of his greatest lessons—personally and professionally—have come over the past two years of the pandemic.  Capitalizing on those lessons is one of his top priorities as he guides the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and its members in successfully moving forward in the evolving events environment.  Reinvention is key, according to Karamat. “Our industry… more
Apr 06, 2022
Every year, members leave your organization – they change jobs or professions, go out of business, retire, or just leave because they found a better alternative. That makes adding and retaining members to your association a top priority and a never-ending project. Let’s look at some reasons why your members might be going out the back door, and how you must keep new ones coming in the front. Your association benefits are unclear While obvious to you, oftentimes, the benefits your organization offers aren’t clear to your potential and current members. Prospects need the benefits delivered in… more
Apr 04, 2022
At its Annual Meeting at the Duke Energy Convention Center on March 25, the Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau unveiled a new brand identity and announced several key growth initiatives to an audience of 400 business professionals, civic leaders and members of the regional hospitality industry. The 75-year-old destination marketing organization’s new name is “Visit Cincy,” created to better align with the CVB’s sales and marketing efforts, as well as its regional collaboration with meetNKY, the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau, to reach key markets for tourism,… 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