Sep 30, 2024
Nearly 2,000 unionized employees—mostly housekeepers, front-desk agents, cooks, dishwashers, F&B servers, bartenders, bellhops, and door staff—walked off the job at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu on September 24. The 2,860-room property is the largest hotel in Hawaii and the largest Hilton in the world.
The labor action is just the latest in a series of temporary and ongoing walkouts conducted across at least 10 cities by members of national hospitality-labor union UNITE HERE.
In each instance, workers are calling for higher wages as well as eased workloads through a reversal… more
Sep 27, 2024
With a national-park campground theme and a focus on artificial intelligence’s uses and benefits, Dreamforce ’24 was a hot ticket, drawing more than 45,000 people to the Moscone Center in San Francisco from September 17 to 19.
In between the keynote sessions featuring high-profile players such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and California Governor Gavin Newsom (see photo below), attendees walked an indoor and outdoor show floor featuring a combination of high-tech and low-tech activations designed to capture their attention.
Here are three Dreamforce activations that planners could easily… more
Sep 26, 2024
Looking for professional development training for emerging talent and seasoned professionals? A new coaching cohort program has been launched by Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and Visit Fort Worth, with 20 participants completing the inaugural six-week online program in August. The Fall session is currently taking applications, and planners can apply here.
The partnership between MPI and the Texas CVB matches event planners with coaches to help industry professionals define their career trajectories. The inaugural program brought industry professionals together to learn, grow,… more
Sep 24, 2024
What do corporate event organizers need to know about Atlantic City, NJ?
We spent 48 hours at the Jersey Shore to discover some of the old and the new of what Atlantic City has to offer.
Getting there: While there is an airport in Atlantic City, there are many more direct flight options into Philadelphia International Airport, which is about 65 miles away or a one-hour drive with light traffic.
Where we stayed: Nobu Hotel Atlantic City, located in Caesars Atlantic City, opened in March 2024. The latest hotel addition to the Caesars Entertainment portfolio in Atlantic City, Nobu Hotel… more
Sep 23, 2024
While Cvent has long provided event technology aimed at centralized meeting-planning teams, its recent acquisition of Splash aims to strengthen its relationship with corporate marketing professionals who are using events to reach their goals.
With the Splash platform, users create event programs, whether live, hybrid, or virtual, with user-friendly websites, customizable e-mail marketing templates and registration forms, reporting tools, and integrations with Marketo, Salesforce, and other major marketing-technology platforms.
Reggie Aggarwal, founder and CEO of Cvent, sees the convergence… more
Sep 20, 2024
As the flagship event produced by global B2B e-commerce platform Alibaba.com, Alibaba CoCreate bought together more than 2,000 e-commerce and supply chain industry experts, celebrity entrepreneurs, Alibaba.com users, manufacturers, and small to mid-sized e-commerce businesses to explore current trends, including the new developments in artificial intelligence (AI) that are driving the e-commerce space. The Chinese technology company’s event grew attendance by 53.8% year-on-year. For the quarter that ended June 30, Alibaba generated revenues of $33.5 billion--a 4% year-over-year increase. … more
Sep 19, 2024
Caesars Entertainment, the public company that generated revenues of $11.5 billion in 2023, has expanded its wellness offerings for meeting planners and event organizers to Atlantic City, NJ. After debuting its wellness menu last October, Caesars officially rolled out the program first to its properties in Las Vegas in January 2024.
For corporate event planners looking to integrate wellness into their conference schedules, the hotel and gaming company that operates more than 50 properties in the U.S. offers a curated group of wellness keynote speakers, workshops, activities, and nutrient-… more
Sep 18, 2024
Corporate meeting and event planners will soon have another hotel and event space option to consider when hosting events in Indianapolis. Situated in the landmarked Illinois Building following an intensive restoration project that has returned the 11-story structure to its previous grandeur, the new InterContinental Indianapolis hotel is gearing up to open in the city’s downtown this fall.
Situated near Monument Circle, the 170-room property will feature a new contemporary entrance canopy, grand staircase, lobby bar, eight-story atrium, luxury accommodations, two restaurants, a rooftop bar… more
Sep 17, 2024
New convention facility offerings, fresh and extended partnerships, and philanthropic activities comprise the latest developments for several North American convention centers as summer turns to fall. Take a look:
Anaheim Convention Center Opens New Marshaling Yard
The Anaheim Convention Center (ACC) recently opened the Claudina Marshaling Yard, located on 6 acres of on-grade asphalt within 2 miles of the facility on the corner of Anaheim Boulevard and Claudina Way.
Serving as a staging ground for the coordination of deliveries and shipments, the new yard provides optimal space for… more
Sep 16, 2024
If you watched the Olympics closing ceremony in mid-August, you might have noticed some unique lighting displays happening in the crowd. That was the work of wireless lighting technology company PixMob, which distributed high-powered X4 LED wristbands to each of the event’s 70,000 fans and athletes. PixMob’s Moving Visual Transmitter technology essentially transforms audiences into interactive canvases, allowing for the projection of moving graphics onto crowds.
At the closing ceremony, PixMob’s Moving Visual Technology cast animated effects illustrating the long history of the Olympics,… 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