Convention Sales Professionals International News

Join CSPI TODAY for Full Access to our 2026 Town Hall Series

Morgan Christopher — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:28:19 GMT

As we kick off our 2026 Town Hall Series in April, NOW is the perfect time to join or renew your CSPI Membership to receive access to all 6 sessions this year - one of the premiere benefits of becoming an association member! Our first Town Hall of the season on April 16th at 2:00 PM EST features renowned AI expert Susan Frew offering practical steps and techniques for meeting and convention salespeople to use "AI as a Sales Tool". This topic was our most requested subject by our members, and we are proud to offer this dynamic speaker who will present this first AI session to our members. To register, go to the Event page at https://www.cspionline.org/event-6567990

Here is our 2026 Town Hall Series including dates and topics. All sessions are on Thursdays at 2:00 PM EST and last one hour.

CSPI 2026 Board Slate Announced - Annual Meeting Set for March 5, 2026

Morgan Christopher — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 17:31:32 GMT

The Nominating Committee of CSPI's Board of Directors was shared with Membership via email on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, and will be installed at the virtual Annual Meeting set for 1:30 PM EST on Thursday, March 5, 2026.

This year's officers and board of directors are slated as follows: Co-Chairs Sharon S. Myers (Visit Hershey-Harrisburg) and Russell R. Kice (DiscoverPHL); Vice President Monica Pea (Spokane CC), Secretary Christina Combs (DaytonCC), Past Chair Kathy Bart (Waco CC) and board members Juan Lopez (Tampa CC), Katri Laurimaa (MPI), Micah Allen-Chambers (New OrleansCC), Angela Daniels (Pinnacle Hotels) and Christine Cleaver (NYU). Russell R. Kice will continue to serve as Treasurer.

There is an open seat on the board of directors. If you would like to nominate someone to serve or self-nominate, please do so in writing to CSPIHeadquarters@gmail.com by Friday, February 27, 2026.

AHLA-backed Study Finds Value in In-person Events - Hotel Management

Morgan Christopher — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 16:32:05 GMT

An analysis conducted by the San Diego State University School of Hospitality & Tourism Management on behalf of the American Hotel & Lodging Association found that in-person business travel and meetings have advantages over virtual options, and that businesses and organizations that resume business travel and meetings more quickly are likely to have a competitive edge over those that do not.

In the analysis, Carl Winston, founder and director of San Diego State University’s L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and Lisa Cain, associate professor at Florida International University Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, wrote that business travel and in-person meetings facilitate productivity, build organizational strength and foster collaboration in a way virtual interactions cannot.

For full article - AHLA-backed study finds value in in-person events | Hotel Management

The Hybrid Future of Conferences, Concerts & Sporting Events - Quartz

Morgan Christopher — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 14:26:54 GMT

In adapting to the realities of the covid-19 pandemic, live event organizers across the world have not just adjusted to the risks inherent with physical gatherings by implementing new safety protocols for their in-person audiences. They’ve also come to see how providing digital access to their events can reach new audiences that might never have had the chance to attend a live event.

Participation is no longer dependent on geography or limited by the number of seats in a venue. This creates tremendous new market opportunities for event organizers.

To read the full article - The hybrid future of conferences, concerts, and sporting events — Quartz (qz.com)

adapting to the realities of the covid-19 pandemic, live event organizers across the world have not just adjusted to the risks inherent with physical gatherings by implementing new safety protocols for their in-person audiences. They’ve also come to see how providing digital access to their events can reach new audiences that might never have had the chance to attend a live event.

Participation is no longer dependent on geography or limited by the number of seats in a venue. This creates tremendous new market opportunities for event organizers

HUNDREDS OF INDUSTRY LEADERS URGE IMMEDIATE ACTION BY CONGRESS TO FURTHER DRIVE RECOVERY -TSNN

Morgan Christopher — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 16:12:10 GMT

In a bold show of solidarity, more than 600 leaders from the U.S. tourism and events industry united with the U.S. Travel Association to sign a letter to congressional leadership urging swift enactment of federal policies to spur demand for business and international travel and help stabilize the broader travel economy.

Supporters included representatives from destinations, venues and industry organizations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the travel industry, providing additional federal relief and stabilizing policies will help all sectors of travel, including events, build an even recovery, according to Tori Emerson Barnes, executive vice president of public affairs for U.S. Travel, which delivered the letter to lawmakers Jan. 19.

For full article - Hundreds of Industry Leaders Urge Immediate Action by Congress to Further Drive Recovery | TSNN Trade Show News

Omricon Wreaks Havoc on Holiday Travel; Will It Stall Business Travel Recovery? - BTN

Morgan Christopher — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 14:24:51 GMT

More than 4,400 flights were cancelled worldwide on Sunday Jan. 2, according to flight tracking website Flight Aware, dashing pre-holiday hopes for smooth travel going into 2022. With the Covid-19 omicron variant now bearing down hard in the eastern United States and throughout Europe, more than 2,700 cancellations affected flights into, within or out of the U.S. yesterday.

The cancellation miseries began in earnest on Christmas Eve. Globally, airlines cancelled more than 6,000 flights over the Christmas holiday weekend—Friday, Saturday and Sunday—with more than 1,700 into, within or out of the U.S. But midweek cancellations continued, with airlines cancelling 1,082 flights into, within or out of the U.S. on Wednesday, Dec. 29 and 1,125 on Thursday, Dec. 30.

While omicron was not the only factor contributing to cancellations—there were weather issues as well—staff shortages due to omicron infections and the requisite 10-day isolation period in place leading up to the intensive holiday season were the primary problem, according to the airlines.

"The nationwide spike in omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation," United Airlines offered in a statement on Christmas Eve.

JetBlue issued a similar statement: "Like many businesses and organizations, we have seen an increasing number of sick calls from omicron."

Airlines bulked up staffing with new employees prior to the holidays and wooed existing employees to work through the holiday season or take extra hours with increased pay. The strategy worked for some carriers—both Southwest and American Airlines came through with few cancellations—but not all.

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes penned a letter to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday, Dec. 22 asking for the agency to consider a reduced quarantine period for vaccinated individuals. His letter joined that of Delta CEO Ed Bastion, who sent a similar letter the day prior. Both cited vaccinations, treatment options and more reliable testing that would enable infected employees to return to work more quickly with the reduction of the transmission window.

The CDC has bowed to this request from airlines and other sectors, but it did not come fast enough to prevent JetBlue from canceling flights further into January. The airline has cut 1,280 flights from Dec. 30 to Jan. 13, citing the omicron-induced staffing shortage affecting its largely Northeast-based crew members, where the variant has surged in the U.S.

Cowen analyst Helane Becker told Fortune that the new CDC guidelines should mitigate the issue, especially if the omicron surge peaks in the first weeks of January and then subsides, as some models and health experts predict it will.

"We expect [cancellations] to last into next week and then once we are past peak the issues should abate,” Becker told Fortune on Dec. 30.

What About Business Travel?

If past is prelude, the fast-moving omicron variant will disrupt business travel in a number of ways. Companies themselves could place new restrictions on travel. A Global Business Travel Association survey fielded in early December, prior to the height of the U.S. omicron, surge asked travel managers about the willingness of their companies to continue to permit nonessential travel. Just 17 percent said their companies had restrictions in place, but that was a blended number between Europe and the U.S. In Europe, where omicron was already on an strong upward trajectory, 32 percent of respondent companies had restricted travel. Only 12 percent of U.S. respondents had done so, but it was early days for omicron in the States.

Unlike past surveys, GBTA's most recent did not ask about how the variant would affect employee "willingness" to travel. With new information about increased transmission associated with omicron coupled with the travel uncertainty wrought by airline staff shortages, short-term demand from would-be business travelers is likely to take a hit.

Indeed, U.S. airfare payment processor and data firm ARC reported corporate airline ticket sales down sequentially nearly 20 percent week over week, for the week ending December 26. Numbers dropped from 52 percent off 2019 sales to 62 percent off the 2019 benchmark. During the holiday week that ended Jan. 2, however, ARC data showed corporate tickets just 19 percent shy of the same week in 2019. Business travel booking demand may need distance from the busy holiday period to shake out.

In the meantime, 37 percent of travel suppliers and intermediaries said their business travel bookings had tracked an omicron-induced slide, according to the GBTA survey.

In-person meetings and events have already taken a major hit from omicron. GBTA itself postponed its December conference in Berlin due to concerns about the variant and fast-changing regulations in Europe around public gatherings.

Major global conventions and forums are also pulling the plug, for now. The World Economic Forum, scheduled for January in Davos, Switzerland, has been postponed to summer. JPMorgan Chase & Co. has pushed its annual health care conference, also planned for January, to a virtual platform after Moderna and Amgen dropped participation. Amazon, Google, Meta (formerly Facebook), Mercedes, GM, Intel T-Mobile, Twitter and others have either pulled their participation from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas or gone to a fully virtual presence. The dropouts prompted the event, which starts this week, to slice a day off its schedule.

High-profile moves like these not only eliminate the travel associated with large events, they may have a chilling effect on other events, with decision-makers looking at them for best-practice guidance. That influence could also trickle down to transient business travel—either through company restrictions or the preferences of individual employees weighing risk-reward of each trip.

_______________________

This story was updated on Monday, Jan. 3 at 12:53pm with newly issued corporate booking data from ARC for the week ending Jan. 2.

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PCMA Selects Las-Vegas , Columbus, Ohio to Host 22-23 Convening Leaders - M&Cs

Morgan Christopher — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 15:31:44 GMT

The Professional Convention Management Association has selected Las Vegas and Columbus, Ohio, to host its 2022 and 2023 Convening Leaders meetings, respectively. The organization's 2020 Convening Leaders will take place this coming Jan. 5-8 in San Francisco's Moscone Center, and the 2021 event will be held Jan. 10-13 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.

The Las Vegas meeting, which will run Jan. 9-12, 2022, notably will take place at Caesars Forum, the $375 million conference facility still under construction on the Center Strip. Although the venue isn't expected to open until March 2020, Caesars Entertainment already has booked more than a million room nights and $390 million in business at the venue, with a number of the shows being high-profile events for meeting professionals. Caesars Forum will host upcoming annual gatherings for Cvent, Meeting Professionals International, HelmsBriscoe and ConferenceDirect, as well as PCMA.

"We are collaborating with two incredible host-city partners, each with their own inspirational story on how they are transforming their organizations and communities through business events," said Sherrif Karamat, CAE, president and CEO of the association. "Caesars Entertainment has demonstrated its commitment to the economic and social power of business events with the opening of Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, while the world is watching how Columbus is using business events as a catalyst for its prosperity as a smart city of the future."

For full article - PCMA Names Host Cities for Convening Leaders 2022 and 2023 | Meetings & Conventions (meetings-conventions.com)

American Express Meetings & Events Global Forecast: Optimism and Growth in 2022 - AMEX GBT

Morgan Christopher — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 13:39:16 GMT

New York, NY – November 9, 2021 – Meeting professionals say they are feeling more confident and well-equipped to plan high-quality meetings and events and adapt to any ongoing uncertainties. This is according to the 2022 Global Meetings and Events Forecast, the 11^th annual report produced by American Express Meetings & Events, a division of American Express Global Business Travel (GBT).

The report’s global survey of meetings and events professionals found that two-thirds (67%) of respondents believe in-person meeting levels will return to their pre-pandemic numbers within one to two years.

In-person meetings and events are projected to grow in 2022, with 81% of events expected to have an in-person element. Another indicator of industry growth is the 64% of global meetings and events professionals citing increased budgets for next year. However, the industry is neither expecting nor planning a return to business as usual, and instead professionals intend to take lessons learned during the pandemic to improve the value, effectiveness and sustainability of future events.

For full article: American Express Meetings & Events Global Forecast: optimism and growth in 2022 - Amex GBT - United States (amexglobalbusinesstravel.com)

Hilton Global Trends Report Unpacks Surprising Ways the Pandemic Changed People, Profiles Expected 2022 Traveler Passions

Morgan Christopher — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 14:11:17 GMT

MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--There is no doubt that the pandemic modified travel – but that’s just part of the story. Today, Hilton released a global trends report unpacking how the pandemic changed people. “The 2022 Traveler: Emerging Trends and the Redefined Traveler, a Report from Hilton” dives into an important truth: in two years, people’s lives were dramatically altered and that radically changed people.

“At Hilton, we’ve been incredibly focused on delivering the experiences our guests are looking for, through every up and down we’ve faced. As we look to the future, I am optimistic about what lies ahead – travel is certainly returning, and we’re excited to build on that momentum.”

Article link - Hilton Global Trends Report Unpacks Surprising Ways the Pandemic Changed People, Profiles Expected 2022 Traveler Passions | Business Wire

Amid Delta Variant Uncertainty, New Research Reveals the Safety of in-Person Events - TSNN

Morgan Christopher — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 13:34:32 GMT

As the Delta variant continues to cause some hesitancy about holding events, with a few shows cancelling and others taking place as planned, new research may hold the key to putting the industry’s mind at ease.

According to findings from a research partnership between Freeman, a global leader in events, and Epistemix, a computational modeling software company, large in-person business events are safe and do not increase local COVID-19 case rates.

“Based on the data we’ve seen, attending an in-person event is no riskier—in fact, less risky— than essential daily activities,” said Freeman CEO Bob Priest-Heck.

He added, “Businesses and organizations want to get back to events for critical commerce, networking and exchange of ideas. This research provides the framework for doing so safely.”

For the full article - Amid Delta Variant Uncertainty, New Research Reveals the Safety of In-Person Business Events | TSNN Trade Show News

The Travel Industry Is a Total Mess, But Everyone Is Traveling Anyway - New York Magazine

Morgan Christopher — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 13:15:01 GMT

...After furloughing thousands of pilots during the pandemic, airlines like American and Southwest were caught flat-footed this spring, with vaccine-driven demand for planes but not enough people to fly them. Delta reports online bookings at more than 100 percent of where they were at this time in 2019, while flying nearly 20 percent fewer flights than they did then, according to Cirium, which tracks aviation data. The FAA requires retraining those out-of-work pilots before putting them back in the cockpit, but airlines could not move people through the program (especially with social-distancing mandates still in place for flight simulators) in time to meet the so-called “revenge travel” demand as summer kicked off. That’s left scores of planes still mothballed in the desert, with airlines loath to spend the tens of thousands of dollars it takes to bring each jet back into service until they’re sure they can make money if they do it. American Airlines, for one, in late June announced that it would cancel nearly 1,000 flights in July as it ran short on staff....

To read the full article - The Travel Industry Is a Mess. Everyone Is Traveling Anyway. (nymag.com)

Study Finds Top Pandemic Consumer Behaviors Likely to Last - PCMA

Morgan Christopher — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 12:32:19 GMT

To determine how enduring pandemic-spurred consumer changes will be, earlier this year McKinsey Global Institute examined a wide array of behaviors across five countries — China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States — using a “stickiness” test. The test took into account the preferences of consumers and workers in addition to the actions of companies, including, according to MarketWatch, “the innovation unlocked by digital tools, and decisions made by governments.”

The biggest trend McKinsey analysts think will remain is home nesting. When the COVID-19 lockdowns drove everyone indoors, people started making significant investments in furnishings, durables, tools and equipment — think large-screen TVs and Peleton bikes, both of which saw soaring sales. Media and entertainment companies ramped up their streaming distribution channels and grocery chains focused heavily on their online delivery services.

And that trend — online shopping across all sectors — McKinsey predicts will stick.

To read the full article - Study Finds Top Pandemic Consumer Behaviors Likely to Last (pcma.org)

Simply Diversity Newsletter - Addressing Inclusivity in the Workplace - Stacey Gordon

Morgan Christopher — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 14:29:43 GMT

Despite how far we’ve come, there’s a reluctance in many workplaces to meet gender diversity head on. People often feel awkward and uncertain about using pronouns outside the gender binary of he/his or she/hers.

Last week my colleague Shane Whalley joined me for conversation about nonbinary pronouns and etiquette, and shared simple ways you can make your actions and workplace more inclusive. Here’s what you need to know:

(45) Wanna be inclusive? Correct pronoun use is NOT negotiable | LinkedIn

U.S. Meetings and Events Volume Shows Double Digit Growth for Fourth Consecutive Month - Hospitality Net

Morgan Christopher — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 13:28:03 GMT

ARLINGTON, Va. - Knowland, the leader in AI-powered meetings and events data for hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, conference centers and other venues, today released its monthly meetings and events data for May. The numbers reveal that May U.S. group meetings volume increased 28.4 percent over last month.

To access the full article & data - U.S. Meetings and Events Volume Shows Double Digit Growth for Fourth Consecutive Month According to Knowland (hospitalitynet.org)

Buffets Didn’t Die: The New Rules of Catering for Post-COVID Events - BizBash

Morgan Christopher — Wed, 26 May 2021 13:23:34 GMT

As in-person event restrictions ease up and parties begin to grow in size, caterers are cooking up creative serving options as well as strategic setups that discourage guest congestion. From mobile food moments to smart buffet service, here’s how some caterers are keeping guests safe and bellies full.

To learn the service suggestions, click on the link to access the full article - Buffets Didn’t Die: The New Rules of Catering for Post-COVID Events | BizBash

NY Times Report: Vaccinated Americans Now May Go without Masks in Most Places - PCMA

Morgan Christopher — Fri, 14 May 2021 13:55:51 GMT

CDC: Vaccinated Americans Now May Go Without Masks in Most Places

The New York Times

In a sharp turnabout, federal health officials on Thursday advised that Americans who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus may stop wearing masks or maintaining social distance in most indoor and outdoor settings, regardless of size.

Full article - Covid-19: C.D.C. Guidance Prompts Caution in Some States - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

An AV Perspective on the Evolution of Trade Shows from Author Michelle Russell - PCMA

Morgan Christopher — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 13:46:50 GMT

The name AVIXA may not ring a bell with you, but you’re likely familiar with InfoComm, the largest professional audiovisual trade show in North America. InfoComm became the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA) in 2017, to reflect a more diverse membership and the creative outcomes that are a result of AV.

Sean Wargo joined the nonprofit organization as senior director of market intelligence just as it was in the process of rebranding. “The idea was we were recognizing — and I think this is relevant to a lot of events in many other parts of the industry — that the center of our industry’s efforts is designing, building, augmenting, enhancing experiences and so we built that into the name with ‘Integrated Experiences,’” Wargo said. “But we also felt that reaffirming our technological roots in audiovisual was important, even though the lines between AV, IT, security, signage — all that’s really blurring.”

AVIXA’s members, Wargo said, include “integrators, live events producers, some IT companies, manufacturers, distributors, the full value chain of what we call the pro AV market, which is really traditional AV with live events and other things thrown in. We also have a lot of members that actually come from the end user community. To us, what that means is, technology managers for higher ed, for corporate, for hospitality, anybody whose job it is to manage the AV assets for their company. Oftentimes they also have an IT title associated with that.”

Convene sat down with Wargo to hear how AVIXA has retooled its own trade shows — international versions of InfoComm, and Integrated Systems trade shows in Europe and Russia — and its organizational model in the wake of the pandemic.

To read the full article - An AV Perspective on the Evolution of Trade Shows (pcma.org)

RP Funding Center Announces GBAC Star Facility Accreditation - Press Release Attached

Morgan Christopher — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 13:19:42 GMT

RPFC_GBAC-STAR-Announcement_PR.pdf

Eventbrite Sees 10X Increase in Ticket Sales After Government Announcement - Event Industry News

Morgan Christopher — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 14:25:51 GMT

Paid tickets grew 18% in February vs. January, driven by a 23% increase in tickets to in-person events
Australia reached new pandemic-era highs
Ticketing trends began to accelerate in the United Kingdom

Eventbrite, Inc., a global self-service ticketing and experience technology platform, today provided an update on the company’s event ticketing trends.

Paid ticket volume increased by 18% in February compared to January 2021, primarily driven by growth in paid tickets to in-person events, which increased 23% in February compared to January. Notably, paid ticket volume in Australia rose 26% month over month and reached a new pandemic-era high in February. Paid tickets also accelerated sharply in the United Kingdom after the Prime Minister unveiled the reopening plan for England, which sparked a 50% week-over-week increase. Paid tickets grew by 23% outside the United States and by 15% within the United States in February compared to January. Compared to a year ago, February paid ticket volume declined 67%, improving from a 69% year-to-year decline in January.

For full article - https://www.eventindustrynews.com/news/eventbrite-sees-10-x-increase-in-ticket-sales-after-government-announcement

Postponed by Pandemic, Milwaukee's Wisconsin Center Expansion is Back on Track - ENR

Morgan Christopher — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 20:39:46 GMT

Construction of the $420-million expansion of the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, the state’s largest convention center, is moving forward nearly a year after issues related to the Covid-19 pandemic put it on hold.

The project nearly doubles the size of the center by adding 112,000 sq ft and it came to a halt in April 2020 due to uncertainty in the bond market and the loss of sales tax revenue in the pandemic-devastated travel and hospitality industries. Now, with hopes that the convention and travel industry will return in the not-too-distant future, the expansion has received the green light to proceed from the Wisconsin Center District, a state-created agency that operates the convention center, and which is selling the bonds financing it.

“The bond sale closed in mid-December 2020, and the funds were transferred to the trustee. The transaction is complete and repayment begins in 2028,” said Sarah Maio, vice president of marketing and communications for the WCD.

The WCD’s board relied on information provided by HVS Global Hospitality Services, a consulting firm based in Westbury, NY, to make the decision to move forward.

For full article - https://www.enr.com/articles/51227-postponed-by-pandemic-milwaukees-wisconsin-center-expansion-is-back-on-the-schedule

UFI Report Projects Growth for Trade Shows in 2021 - TSNN

Morgan Christopher — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 15:47:56 GMT

Anew report from UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, predicts that a comeback is in the offing for trade shows.

Having polled 457 companies in 64 countries and 29 different regions, UFI lays claim to its research being the industry’s gold standard. Exhibitors as well as planners and organizers can only hope the association’s report is right on target.

According to the bi-annual UFI Global Barometer:

Industry revenues will double in 2021, compared to 2020
64% of respondents say last year’s loss of events due to COVID-19 has only reinforced the importance of face-to-face gatherings
57% of North American companies say virtual events will not replace in-person events.

The news comes as the pandemic has kept trade shows on the sidelines while some convention centers and exhibit halls have been transformed into vaccination centers.

For Full article - https://www.tsnn.com/news/ufi-report-projects-growth-trade-shows-2021

How Large Resorts Are Set Up for Social Distancing Success - Meetings Today

Morgan Christopher — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 19:37:54 GMT

The COVID-era has devastated business at all types of meeting venues, leaving many convention centers, offsite venues and others with little foot traffic. One type of venue, however, may have the ingredients needed to thrive early as attendees tentatively step back into face-to-face meeting environments in 2021: large resorts.

Thanks to their many amenities, onsite leisure activities and an abundance of space, the buildings originally envisioned to hosts hundreds of attendees for a multiday conference or retreat may find themselves busy catering to a smattering of small groups that utilize their properties in different ways.

For full article - https://meetingstoday.com/articles/142554/large-resorts-social-distancing-success

Global Exhibition, Convention and Meeting Market (2020) to Witness Huge Growth by 2026 - NeighborwebSJ Blog

Morgan Christopher — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 16:24:22 GMT

The outburst of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis in the global market has impacted many industries and it has also impacted the supply chain of all the countries, which results in the closing of their borders. Due to this global impact, many manufacturing and other companies has a serious financial crash and they are clueless about the future consequence of their companies. The Global Exhibition, Convention and Meeting Market research report covers the new survey on the Covid-19 impact on the Exhibition, Convention and Meeting market, which helps the marketers to find latest market dynamics, new development in the market and in the industry, along with this, this survey also helps to form the new business plans, product portfolio and segmentations.

The Global Exhibition, Convention and Meeting Market research report covers the profiles of major players in the market:

The Freeman Company
Informa (UBM)
RELX Group
BCD Meetings & Events
Cvent Inc
ATPI Ltd

Get Sample Copy of This Report @ https://www.zealinsider.com/report/62572/exhibition-convention-and-meeting-market#sample

For full article - https://neighborwebsj.com/uncategorized/1247889/global-exhibition-convention-and-meeting-market-2020-to-witness-huge-growth-by-2026-the-freeman-company-informa-ubm-relx-group-bcd-meetings-events-cvent-inc-atpi-ltd-and-more/

Five Convention Centers Moving Forward - MeetingsNET

Morgan Christopher — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 15:46:47 GMT

Times are tough, but convention centers are playing the long game, with many working on renovations, expansions, or new services that are helping them to get their doors back open.

Here are five developments from the past week to keep an eye on.

• The Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., opened its doors September 15 for the first time since early in the pandemic. It’s the first convention center in the country to use an antimicrobial sanitation product called SurfaceGuard, which is touted as a Covid-19 killer. With the reopening, the center has unveiled a 19,000-square-foot production studio to host and create virtual experiences.

• The Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City also recently opened a broadcast studio, and on September 21 welcomed the Nest Summit, the first virtual event to use it (and the first event in the building since Javits was used as a Covid-19 hospital months ago). The 30,000-square-foot studio can host up to 300 participants in a socially distanced setting.

• On September 14, Indianapolis City-County Council approved up to $155 million in bonds for the expansion of the Indiana Convention Center. The expansion would add a 50,000-square-foot ballroom across the street from the current convention center, plus another 93,500 square feet of meeting rooms and prefunction space. Two hotels are being developed alongside the expansion, funded through private financing. The first hotel will be a 42-floor, 800-room Signia Hilton hotel that’s expected to open in 2024, while the second will begin construction after that.

• On September 18, the Austin City Council authorized staff to move forward on negotiations for land on the west side of the Austin Convention Center that could be used for an expansion.

• Major investment continues in Omaha’s downtown convention district. This fall, a new $101 million science center will start construction just east of CHI Health Center, the city’s convention center and arena. It will join an amphitheater, boardwalk, and a botanical garden, among other features that make up The RiverFront development project.

Link to page - https://www.meetingsnet.com/destination-venue-news/5-convention-centers-moving-forward

CSPI & PCMA 2021 Young Professionals Scholarships Program - Deadline December 15th

Morgan Christopher — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 20:18:30 GMT

Some Meeting Changes Are Here to Stay...- Business Travel News

Morgan Christopher — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 15:17:07 GMT

Group business is key to a full recovery of the hospitality industry, but when that will happen remains an open question, according to hospitality executives speaking at two sessions at this week's New York University International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference. They also weighed in on which changes to meeting protocols that Covid-19 has ushered in are temporary and which may be permanent.

"Large groups have got to come back," said Wyndham Hotels & Resorts president and CEO Geoff Ballotti. "This cannot be a permanent change. We are seeing [small meetings] with 100 or 200 attendees, but when will the meetings with thousands of attendees come back is the question. An important reason it has to come back is because of the impact on our team members. … The industry estimates that anywhere from one-third to one-half of the 4 million people who have been laid off rely on those large meetings and conventions, they rely on the banquet and catering. We as an industry need to figure out a way for these large groups to come back so this is not permanent."

Starting with the return of small groups with hybrid meetings is easier to manage and test more efficiently, said Choice Hotels president and CEO Patrick Pacious. "We're kidding ourselves though if we think it will come back in the same way [as before]," he said. "You have to look at all the investments businesses have made in virtual private networks, in Zoom, in Microsoft Teams. CFOs around the country will say, 'We made this investment, do we really need to send people out to these long meetings?' On the margins, you'll see when business travel comes back fully, some of it may not return. We as an industry need to be thinking about it and figuring out how to adapt the assets we have to attract the business traveler of the future, but also looking at the new normal."

For full article - https://www.businesstravelnews.com/Meetings/Some-Meeting-Changes-Are-Here-to-Stay-Say-Hospitality-Execs

How DMOs are Slowly but Steadily Rebuilding for a Different Future - PCMA

Morgan Christopher — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 13:54:00 GMT

There’s no question that 2020 has been crushing to the DMO. U.S. destinations have endured wiped-out funding as a result of nonexistent hotel occupancy, en-masse event cancellations, and double-digit layoffs — not to mention the added challenges of social unrest and for some, natural disasters. In so many ways, this year has brought the DMO to the brink.

It has been incredibly challenging. The city that never sleeps, just kind of went to sleep for a little bit,” said NYC & Company President and CEO Fred Dixon, in a phone interview in October. New York City was the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. and then became known as one of the safest in terms of public health. It has been a rollercoaster of a ride. At one point, in August, occupancy rates dropped 80 percent.

For full article - https://www.pcma.org/dmo-reinvention-rebuilding-covid-19-shutdown/

Planned as Hybrid, Event Tech LIVE Will Now Be Virtual Only - Corporate Event News

Morgan Christopher — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 19:07:48 GMT

In late June, CEN reported that Event Tech Live, the annual London, U.K.-based trade show and conference dedicated to event technology, would take place as a hybrid event. However, due to new gathering restrictions in response to rising COVID-19 infections across the U.K., coupled with travel restrictions for international exhibitors, the decision was made to push the show to virtual only.

Now, ETL is scheduled to take place virtually from Nov. 2-6, with plans for a hybrid event in 2021. In normal years, the face-to-face event offers educational programming across six stages, showcases event tech providers and introduces new players to the market through start-up competitions.

So far, the ETL has already confirmed a wealth of new international exhibitors and speakers, with more than 50 percent of registrations heralding from outside the U.K. thus far, demonstrating how powerful virtual events can be in attracting a global audience to an event brand.

For full article : https://www.corporateeventnews.com/news/previously-planned-hybrid-event-tech-live-will-now-be-virtual-only-nov-2-6

14 Tips to Boost Sales in 2021 - CVent

Morgan Christopher — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 17:30:08 GMT

Times are still tough for hotels and the meetings and events industry, but things are shifting along the road to recovery. Small in-person meetings are beginning again in some areas. People are getting excited about future travel plans and trips within driving distance. In a PCMA Convene survey from July 2020, 33% of planners said that smaller local and regional events will return before larger-scale events, and nearly 20% think there will be a pent-up demand for in-person meetings.

Group business will return. In the meantime, take this time to revamp your strategies and be ready for what lies ahead. In this blog post, we cover tips you need to know to boost hotel sales and prepare for resuming – and growing – your group business.

Full blog: https://www.cvent.com/en/blog/hospitality/boost-hotel-sales?utm_medium=marketing_email&utm_source=internal&utm_campaign=HC-Sales-Sol--Blog-eblast-Oct-2020&utm_content=INV_Email&utm_term=EM133490A1LA1&utm_ptype=DG&utm_bus=HC&utm_prod=GSS&utm_reg=NA&utm_aud=ALL&utm_per=SPMBAP&LS=INV_GoodWorks_and_GreatIdeas_OCT&refid=NV_GoodWorks_and_GreatIdeas_OCT&f=Morgan&l=Christopher&email=sales@endlessmountains.org&t=Director%20of%20Sales&p=(570)%20836-5431&c=Endless%20Mountains%20Visitors%20Bureau&src=c_em&mid=B5SH7HC&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTlRWaVlXTTJOamM0TjJZMCIsInQiOiJZMXR2MFV1UmQ1UkpOays2UWNsM0k1TDJSM1dGbjhHU0p3N2ZCcGF0dnk4eGdxZGtyS3FRVkdhaXZvQkh4UmJYajcyamFHMysyU1lXSzY2WnB4TGp5czkrY3ArQVh4M3ZCa0JWSVNkMXR4dlRlTFd0WUNyMnZ6OUp6Nzl2TnlxWiJ9

How the Vaccine Will Affect Travel in 2021 - Travel Off Path

Morgan Christopher — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 15:02:32 GMT

Whether we like it or not, the COVID-19 vaccine is right around the corner and it's going to have a big impact on the way we travel in 2021.

We've been following travel in the COVID-19 world since the very beginning. From the time countries first started shutting down, to the reopening of nations around the world.

Traveling right now is just about as hard as its going to get. Everyone is ‘waiting' for the vaccine to solve all our travel problems but let me tell you this right now.

It won't.

For the full article - https://www.traveloffpath.com/how-the-vaccine-will-impact-international-travel-in-2021/

Feel Like You don't Fit In ? Find Out Where You Truly Belong - ideas.TED.com

Morgan Christopher — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 14:56:33 GMT

Sharing this article from TED as we prepare for CSPI's next Town Hall Call on Thursday, September 17th - 'Marketing Yourself as a Sales Professional"

The word “individual” has an inherent duality: it means the smallest member of a group. An individual is therefore never isolated; she is always connected. Every one of the 7.5 billion humans on the earth has value to offer, especially now in a distributed world where you can get things done through networks. This is the power of what I call “onlyness”: you’re standing in a spot that only you stand in, which is a function of your history, experiences, visions and hopes, and it’s from here you offer a distinct point of view, insights and ideas. When you can grow and realize those ideas through your networks and through connectedness, you have a new lever to move the world. Onlyness is like an individual, then, in that it is born of you and also that it unites you meaningfully with others; it is the connected you."

To find your people, you have to know how to signal your passions and interests and seek out theirs.

For the full article - https://ideas.ted.com/feel-like-you-dont-fit-in-heres-how-to-find-where-you-truly-belong/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=linkedin.com&utm_campaign=social&utm_content=2020-9-14

Omni Remains Committed to Convention Hotels Despite Pandemic Downturn - Skift

Morgan Christopher — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 16:33:20 GMT

Omni Hotels & Resorts may seem like a particularly vulnerable hotel company, given the torpedoed conventions and events business during a global pandemic.

Yet company leaders say there is still plenty of runway for growth in convention hotels.

“We’re still bullish on convention hotels,” Omni President Peter Strebel said. “I do think group business is going to be the last to return. But, if anything, it will come back stronger.”

For Full article - https://skift.com/2020/09/02/omni-remains-committed-to-convention-hotels-despite-pandemic-downturn/

Is a Six Hour Work Day the Future of Work? - LinkedIn

Morgan Christopher — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 17:07:33 GMT

Is a six-hour workday the future of work? Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin has floated the idea as a way to improve employees’ work-life balance. Swedish researchers have found that a six-hour working day can improve productivity and reduce sick pay costs, but critics argue that shorter working hours can be too costly, hinder entrepreneurialism, and only suits shift work.

For full article - https://www.linkedin.com/feed/news/the-case-for-a-six-hour-workday-4206521/

ASAE Sets New Registration Record With Virtual Annual Meeting & Exposition - TSN

Morgan Christopher — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 14:22:29 GMT

The results are in: Registration reached an all-time high for the 2020 ASAE Virtual Annual Meeting & Exposition, with the most registrants ever in the organization’s 100-year history. Held Aug. 10-12, the online event registered 14,108 association professionals, consultants and industry partners, 71 percent of which were first-time attendees. The event’s final attendance breakdown included 12,813 executives; 544 exhibitors; 207 industry partners; 433 consultants and 111 others including press, vendors and staff. The ratio of buyer to sellers was 95 percent to 5 percent, respectively.

The fact that ASAE decided to offer the event free or at a discounted rate allowed more than 10,000 event industry individuals – who had previously not been able to attend due to travel or budget restrictions – the opportunity to participate for the first time, according to ASAE officials.

For Full Article - https://www.tsnn.com/news/asae-sets-new-registration-record-virtual-annual-meeting-exposition

CVBs Enter Triage Mode in the Wake of COVID-19 Staff Reductions - Meetings Today

Morgan Christopher — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 18:54:04 GMT

By Tyler Davidson (August 11, 2020) COVID-19 has cut a path of destruction through the meetings industry, and among the hardest hit are DMOs/CVBs, which are cutting staff as much of their revenue stream from hotel bed taxes and tourism improvement districts has dried up.

According to Don Welsh, president and CEO of Destinations International (DI), the association that represents DMOs/CVBs, the lingering pandemic and dire news about a resurgence in infection rates has added extra urgency for relief that the federal government has yet to offer through the CARES Act.

Welsh emphasized that DI is working with US Travel Association to apply pressure on the federal government to expand the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to include 501(c)(6) tax-exempt organizations, which comprise about 97% of DI’s membership.

“Clearly business conditions have not improved,” Welsh said. “I think many organizations are not able to bring back very important furloughed employees, and in some cases they’re having to now lay off additional people.

For full article - https://www.meetingstoday.com/magazines/article-details/articleid/34423/title/cvbs-staff-reductions

US Hotels Outlook Report Released - CBRE

Morgan Christopher — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 19:19:54 GMT

CBRE today released its U.S. Hotels Outlook Report. Key highlights include occupancy's trend line turned positive, ADR is holding steady, and hotel closure data is now available.

Link - https://cbre.ent.box.com/s/drq5ivxz08l6sgibponysoshupvqb5pr?utm_source=Members&utm_campaign=c491a39e95-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_cvupdate_aug7&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3e12cf0b7b-c491a39e95-69005103

How The Live Events Coalition is Uniting The Events Industry During a Pandemic - BizBash

Morgan Christopher — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 18:15:37 GMT

When our country and economy began shutting down in March of this year, a terrifying reality quickly set in among live event professionals across the United States: We are not only the first industry to shut down, but we will by far be the last to reopen. What will this mean for our livelihoods?

It was under this reality that the Live Events Coalition was founded. The Coalition is a completely volunteer-run 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization, created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating impact on the live events industry. The coalition exists to provide advocacy, resources, and a network that connects and supports all the businesses, contractors, and individual members of our workforce of 12 million people—the lifeblood of every event.

The live events industry contributed roughly $1 trillion to the U.S. economy prior to COVID-19, and now is expected to lose up to 80% of overall revenue. It is imperative that legislators, policymakers, and those who influence them understand the extent of the damage to our industry and the need for assistance, as the competition for government relief dollars will only intensify in the weeks and months to come. This is why the Coalition has engaged an advocacy firm to develop a coordinated communications and government relations strategy.

For Full Article - https://www.bizbash.com/sponsored/article/21141662/how-the-live-events-coalition-is-uniting-the-events-industry-during-a-pandemic

Participants Will Pay for Virtual Events If the Content is Compelling Enough - PCMA

Morgan Christopher — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 17:54:42 GMT

When planning a hybrid and digital event, your content is the key to its success, panelists agreed during The Hague Convention Bureau’s first hybrid webinar. The panel members — a corporate planner, two association planners, a meeting-design expert, and a hotel executive — discussed the viability of hybrid events.

The July 2 event at the World Forum in The Hague welcomed 65 attendees in the venue and more than 160 online viewers.

Host Tadeja Pivc-Coudyser, international sales manager at The Hague Convention Bureau, welcomed moderator Vincent Pahlplatz, general manager at The Hague Marriott, and panelist Carin Smand, executive director of the European Hematology Association (EHA), to the live venue stage. Three other panelists — Kim Myhre, CEO and managing partner at Experience Designed; Frank Yang, director of marketing & business development at KINTEX; and Guillem Torres, executive director and professional congress organizer for Torres Pardo SL— attended virtually, their images appearing on a large screen behind the stage.

While the session covered a variety of areas, including the logistical challenges of conducting hybrid meetings and who should pay for health and safety costs at live venues, panelists often returned to a key point in their discussion — that content, how you conceive it, present it, and collect data about it — will do the most to maximize attendance and revenue, and deliver ROI to attendees and sponsors.....

For full article - https://www.pcma.org/content-compelling-participants-will-pay-virtual-events/

Record-Breaking Attendance at Destination Intl's First Virtual Annual Conference - TSNN

Morgan Christopher — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 13:44:19 GMT

Event and tourism industry professionals aren’t about to sit out this pandemic, as evidenced by the number of meetings, webinars and conventions taking place virtually these past few months. Among these key industry events is Destinations International’s Annual Convention, which was held virtually for the first time July 14-15.

With a record attendance of 3,024 attendees from 14 countries, the global destinations industry gathering featured a packed agenda offering more than 20 educational sessions designed to inform and inspire. Keynote presentations were made by Author Mitch Albom, U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot Carey Lohrenz and the Global All-Stars Innovators Showcase, during which a panel of five tourism industry executives reimagined the future of travel post-COVID-19.

For Full Article - https://www.tsnn.com/news/recordbreaking-attendance-destinations-international%E2%80%99s-first-virtual-annual-convention

EU Extends Travel Ban on American Travelers - USA Today

Morgan Christopher — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 15:26:17 GMT

The European Union extended its travel ban on Americans on Thursday, as coronavirus infections continued to rise across the United States.

The EU first started lifting international travel restrictions on July 1, welcoming visitors from 14 countries, including Canada, South Korea and Australia. The U.S. was left off that initial list and Americans remain barred from visiting the bloc for at least another two weeks under Thursday's decision, announced by the European Council.

The announcement came after EU officials conducted their first biweekly review of travel restrictions, examining coronavirus trends and containment measures in each country to determine whether to add or narrow the list of permitted travelers.

The key measurement: The pandemic outbreak in a given country needs to be equally contained – or better – than in the EU.

For the full article - https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2020/07/16/eu-extends-travel-ban-americans-amid-spike-us-coronavirus-cases/5450198002/

Black Travel Leaders Address Systemic Racism in '5 Questions About Race' - Yahoo

Morgan Christopher — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 13:01:51 GMT

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the death of George Floyd and the overwhelming response nationwide, seven Black executives from destination marketing organizations across the country partnered on a video to share their experiences and encourage an open dialogue about race and racism throughout their lives and in the tourism industry. Running 8 minutes and 38 seconds, "5 Questions About Race" takes less time to view than the 8 minutes and 46 seconds that George Floyd had a knee on his neck when he was murdered on May 25, 2020.

According to data from The Washington Post, Black Americans are killed by police at a rate of more than twice as high as the rate for white Americans. Since 2015, 96 percent of Black Americans killed by the police have been male. This video is intended to share the male perspective.

For full article - https://finance.yahoo.com/news/black-travel-leaders-address-systemic-160000558.html

Why Digital Events Are in "An Awkward Phase" - PCMA

Morgan Christopher — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 13:00:22 GMT

Technology may connect us physically, but much remains to be learned about its ability to create emotional connections.

Author: Barbara Palmer

We’ve long talked about how technology connects us, points out designer and researcher Pamela Pavliscak, a panelist at the technology conference Collision@Home, held online June 21-24. “But what we’ve meant by connecting,” Pavliscak told Convene, “is that technology reduces physical distance, or just that technology puts us in contact with somebody else.”

Now, with the widespread move to digital platforms in response to the pandemic, “it’s as if we’re a big experiment,” she added, one that’s demonstrating how technology can bring us together, but also highlighting its weaknesses. To really connect, “we need to be able to read nonverbal signals — the sensorial aspect of our connection, where we are part of a larger context,” said Pavliscak, author of Emotionally Intelligent Design. “We’re in an awkward phase. We have this technology, but it doesn’t really facilitate intimacy, emotions, or vulnerability. Maybe it doesn’t even facilitate empathy in the way we want it to. And how will we get it to that point?”

For full article - https://www.pcma.org/digital-events-awkward-phase-collisionhome/

AJC : DragonCon Cancels In-Person Convention this Labor Day, Replaced by Virtual Version

Morgan Christopher — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 20:22:33 GMT

DragonCon organizers have decided to cancel the in-person Labor Day weekend extravaganza in downtown Atlanta due to the pandemic, opting for a virtual event instead.

After many months of hand-wringing, sleepless nights, and more Zoom meetings than we can count, we have decided that Dragon Con 2020 event will not be held in person,” the organizers announced on the event’s website today. “Trust us, we are just as bummed as you are, but know we did not make this decision lightly.”

On the site, they said that given the current situation, they could not guarantee a safe convention and had to make this difficult decision.

“We truly did everything possible to remain positive and exhaust all options,” they noted. “We are looking forward to 2021 when we can all meet again in person.”

The convention is one of many major annual Atlanta events that has had to be postponed or cancelled. And almost every major comparable convention nationwide has done the same thing.

Full article : https://www.ajc.com/blog/radiotvtalk/dragoncon-cancels-person-convention-this-labor-day-replaced-virtual-version/SjN0MaR3vuCPmkyVpQiJzL/

Convention Data Services Launches Contactless Event Toolkit - Corporate Event News

Morgan Christopher — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 12:16:07 GMT

As face-to-face meetings and events begin to resume, it goes without saying that event organizers are going to be paying extra-special attention to health and safety practices. With social distancing among the top safety practices for the foreseeable future, event registration and lead management solutions provider Convention Data Services is offering a new Touchless Toolkit.

Launched in early June, the Toolkit includes DigiBadge, which allows event registrants to check in safely and securely using their own mobile devices. Event participants download the DigiBadge link provided by the organizer, add it to their device’s Apple Wallet or Google Pay, and can then use it for convention hall and session access instead of a physical badge.

“Ultimately, we want to make the on-site planning process painless for show management while giving confidence to state agencies to reopen convention centers,” said John Kimball, president and CEO of Bourne, Mass-based CDS, a Freeman Company.

For Full Article - http://www.corporateeventnews.com/news/convention-data-services-launches-contactless-event-tech-toolkit

PCMA - Lack of Standardization at Event Venues in the Time of COVID: A Good Thing?

Morgan Christopher — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 19:24:07 GMT

On a recent international panel I participated in — Morale and Motivation in the Tourism Industry, organized by TravelShop Turkey — Sven Bossu, CEO of the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC), said that during the COVID-19 crisis, the events industry must help policy makers understand the distinction between mass gatherings and organized exhibitions. Many governments have placed restrictions on mass gatherings, which he said should not be considered the same as exhibitions. Conventions take place in venues that have put hygiene and safety protocols in place, compared to a live concert, for example, where there is less control.

And in fact, fellow panelist Karen Gonzales, director of partnership relations for the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) had earlier in the session underscored the industry’s proactive approach to safely planning and producing an exhibition during the pandemic by sharing IAEE’s recently released resource, “Essential Considerations for Safely Reopening Exhibitions and Events.”

Still, another panelist, Nick Dugdale Moore, regional manager for Europe for UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, bemoaned the fact that there is no global standardization for groups or venues.

From where I sit — as the recipient of hundreds of industry emails daily — that seems accurate.........

For full article - https://www.pcma.org/covid-19-safety-protocols-standardization-event-venues/?utm_source=pardot&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=thisweek_convene&utm_term=organic

CNBC - The EU is Discussing Reopening its Borders, and U.S. Citizens Could Remain Barred

Morgan Christopher — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 15:18:50 GMT

The European Union is discussing how to reopen its external borders as the region looks to slowly revive its economy, with visitors from countries like the United States potentially still being barred from entering the bloc.

Thirty European countries decided to close their external borders in March to contain the spread of Covid-19. The travel restriction has been extended three times but it’s now due to end on Tuesday.

The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, suggested earlier this month that European nations should open their internal borders by June 15 and slowly lift the travel ban on foreign visitors from July 1. The Commission also said that reopening external borders should be a coordinated exercise among European governments and reviewed on a regular basis.

For the full article on CNBC - https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/24/eu-to-open-external-borders-but-us-visitors-could-be-banned.html

US Hospitality Sector: Signs of Life, Reasons for Hope - MPA

Morgan Christopher — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 13:08:28 GMT

For hospitality properties that have survived the pandemic thus far, it’s going to take an awful lot of bookings and overpriced Toblerones to make up those shortfalls. Luckily, the first part of that equation has been improving for the last three months.

According to hotel industry data firm STR, only 22.1 percent of available hotel rooms in the U.S. were occupied in March, the low point of the crisis. Approximately 37 percent were occupied during the week ending May 30. That’s still a far cry from where occupancy rates were in May 2019, but it’s almost a 50 percent increase from March’s nadir.

According to recent research by Deloitte, Americans are slowly growing more open to staying in hotels and travelling by plane.

For full article - https://www.mpamag.com/commercial/u-s--hospitality-sector-signs-of-life-reasons-for-hope-225547.aspx

UK Meetings Industry Calls for Clarity on Reopening - BTN Europe

Morgan Christopher — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 14:54:40 GMT

UK prime minister Boris Johnson officially announced yesterday that parts of the nation’s hospitality industry, including accommodation, restaurants and pubs, will be allowed to reopen from 4 July, but exhibition centres and conference venues must remain closed. The news has prompted the meetings and events industry to call for clarity on when business meetings might be allowed to go ahead.

While the hospitality industry has welcomed a reduction in social distancing guidelines from 2m to “1m-plus”, Lex Butler, chair of the Hotel Booking Agents Association (HBAA), said: “Covid-19 and lockdown have been a hammer blow to business events, meetings and accommodation agencies, venues and suppliers – for the whole sector. By reducing social distancing to 1m-plus and providing guidelines, the government has wrapped the hammer in plastic.

Link to full article -

https://www.businesstravelnewseurope.com/Meetings/UK-meetings-industry-calls-for-clarity-on-reopening

Hotels Add New Meeting Sanitization Protocols: BTN

Morgan Christopher — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 17:18:21 GMT

Along with new sanitization standards, several hotel companies are implementing new procedures and protocols around their meetings and events—for whenever they return—related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition to the company's All Stay Well initiative, Accor has launched All Meet Well for North and Central America. Elements include promoted social distancing in arrival and gathering areas; attendee screenings that may include temperature checks; food-and-beverage set-ups that allow for six feet between chairs; gloves and masks for all staff; sanitization of all furniture and equipment in meeting rooms before and after every event; increased availability of outdoor and private spaces; adding more disposable F&B accompaniments; elimination of all pre-set items on tables except for single-serve bottled water; elimination of all buffets and self-serve options; and larger, one-way aisles with directional signage.

As an enhancement to its Commitment to Clean initiative, Choice Hotels is redesigning furniture arrangements in its meeting and event spaces for social distancing in accordance with U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines

Full article - https://www.businesstravelnews.com/Meetings/Hotels-Add-New-Meetings-Sanitization-Protocols

Forbes: Is a Hotel Stay Safe? 5 Questions to Help you Decide

Morgan Christopher — Mon, 22 Jun 2020 18:38:59 GMT

The biggest challenge being faced by hotels now is finding ways to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus on their premises. But hotels also need to balance those efforts with the ethos of hospitality: making sure guests feel safe, comfortable and relaxed.

Achieving these goals in the near-term is complicated by the uncertain trajectory of the pandemic: There are still huge gaps in knowledge about the virus and its spread, and few proven options for prevention and treatment.

Travelers will have to weigh the risks versus rewards of any stay, one trip at a time. Some considerations will relate to a particular property and its location; others to an individual’s personal health, safety and sense of well-being. Here are some questions to help you make these decisions.....

Link to the article -

https://www.forbes.com/sites/irenelevine/2020/06/21/is-a-hotel-stay-safe-5-questions-to-help-you-decide/#4cd20304174e

What the Meetings Industry Gets Wrong About Diversity.....

Morgan Christopher — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 14:12:41 GMT

....and How to Fix It - Trade Show News Network

The unjust killing of Black American George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 by a police officer has sparked nationwide protests over civil injustice. Amid a time when the events industry was already struggling with great change, due to forced event cancellations and reorganization of many companies during the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations are now also questioning their own approach to diversity. Few are more qualified to speak to this important topic than Jason Dunn, chairman of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals and an industry diversity leader as group vice president of diversity sales and inclusion for the Cincinnati USA CVB. Here’s his take on what needs to change in the meetings industry when it comes to diversity — and suggestions on how to take action......

Link Thru to the Full Article & Interview - https://www.tsnn.com/news/what-meetings-industry-gets-wrong-about-diversity%E2%80%94and-how-fix-it

NBC: America's $100 billion Convention Industry is Back, but Changed Forever

Morgan Christopher — Thu, 18 Jun 2020 14:36:39 GMT

After two months of declines, more convention and meeting planners now say they’re starting to source and book future events, according to a survey by Northstar Meeting Group. As of mid-May, just one-third of respondents were signing contracts for new events. That’s now risen to 40 percent, returning to April levels.

“Meeting planners have gotten a little more hopeful about meetings coming back,” said Loren Edelstein, Vice President of Northstar Meetings Group, a meetings and conventions marketing and information firm based in Secaucus, New Jersey.

For the full story with video - https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/america-s-100-billion-convention-industry-back-changed-forever-n1231228

US Supreme Court Rules for LGBT Workers - New York Times

Morgan Christopher — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 13:45:22 GMT

The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that a landmark civil rights law protects gay and transgender workers from workplace discrimination, handing the movement for L.G.B.T. equality a long-sought and unexpected victory.

“An employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender defies the law,” Justice Neil M. Gorsuch wrote for the majority in the 6-to-3 ruling. To read the full article - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/15/us/gay-transgender-workers-supreme-court.html?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20200615&instance_id=0&nl=breaking-news&ref=headline&regi_id=71695352&segment_id=30941&user_id=35b22558b504382afa81d2c86ea4a70d

Forbes: United Airlines Launches Self Screening for Passengers

Morgan Christopher — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 13:43:16 GMT

Consumer air travel is slowly recovering after record-low passenger volumes in April, but to protect passengers and prevent the spread of coronavirus, airlines are making significant changes to the experience.

Among the recent measures put into place, this week carriers are starting to ask passengers to self-evaluate during the check-in process. On Thursday, Chicago-based United Airlines announced that it would ask passengers to self-assess their health and environmental exposure during the process of checking into each flight. to continue reading:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/grantmartin/2020/06/14/united-airlines-launches-self-screening-for-passengers-at-check-in/#60cd771f30d8

NY Times: Businesses Want Virus Legal Protection

Morgan Christopher — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 17:03:26 GMT

Companies and universities — and the groups that represent them — say they are vulnerable to a wave of lawsuits if they reopen while the coronavirus continues to circulate widely, and they are pushing Congress for temporary legal protections they say will help get the economy running again.

Full article -

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/business/economy/coronavirus-liability-shield.html?auth=login-facebook

Is It Safe to Fly Again ? Today.com Shares the Screening Changes and Statistics

Morgan Christopher — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 13:20:07 GMT

Americans are slowly shedding their fear of flying. The number of travelers passing through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints has been steadily rising from its nadir of 87,534 on April 14 (compared with 2.2 million the year before) to 441,255 on June 7. Still, a Harris Poll conducted last month found that 48% of Americans said they would not be comfortable taking a flight until the pandemic is over. This piece from TODAY.com offers an overview as to where we are right now - click the link for the full article that includes statistics... Is it safe to fly again? Here’s how airport screenings are changing

MPI Needs Your Help with Their Industry Survey

Morgan Christopher — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 18:13:54 GMT

MPI, in partnership with The Venetian Resort Las Vegas | Las Vegas Sands Corp. and IMEX Group, has created a survey that measures sentiments related to recovery impact on the meeting and event industry. This study will provide insights into aspects our community feels will change when recovery begins. Let your voice be counted and help us all understand what our community perceives recovery will look like. Take Survey > http://ow.ly/bZDT50A4dM4

USAE Announces Upcoming Industry Webinars thru June 12th

Morgan Christopher — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 14:34:15 GMT

USAE, the weekly community newspaper of Associations, CVBs and Hotels has been compiling and sharing lists of upcoming webinars that are of interest to meeting industry professionals. To access the current list, click the following link for educational opportunities that are out there for our members to access - https://usaenews.com/Webinar-img/Web-6-4-20.html

EIC (Events Industry Council) Freezing Re certification Fees Through September 30, 2020

Morgan Christopher — Thu, 21 May 2020 14:57:28 GMT

Our colleagues at the Events Industry Council announced this week they are freezing re-certification fees through the end of September 2020. In addition, EIC is offering free CE-qualifying webinars and providing COVID-relief on the application and exam fee. As a reminder to our members and followers, participation in CSPI's Town Hall Call Series offers those working on their CMP certification or renewal one credit hour per event.

To learn more: https://bit.ly/3coV2H0

From the New York Times - For Conference Planners, Virus Means a "Huge Learning Curve"

Morgan Christopher — Wed, 20 May 2020 20:42:15 GMT

The coronavirus pandemic has upended operations and activities across nearly all industries, but meeting and conference planners face a particularly daunting challenge.

To read the full article, click the link -https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/18/business/coronavirus-business-travel-conferences.html

CSPI's Next Connect Online Event Set for Tuesday, May 19th at 4:30 PM EST

Morgan Christopher — Wed, 13 May 2020 17:15:06 GMT

Get an early start on the Memorial Day weekend by registering for CSPI's next ONLINE CONNECT EVENT taking place Tuesday, May 19th at 4:30PM. Share this invitation with a friend and plan to be part of this fun end of the day event.

Bring your red white and blue - red wine, white cheddar crackers or blueberry pie or anything else that fits a "red, white and blue" theme. Spend one hour catching up and networking with the great individuals who make up the membership of our great organization!

To register - https://cspi.wildapricot.org/event-3838088

Once you get registered, send you favorite summer recipe (grill favorites, decadent dessert, sizzling side dish or festive beverage) to headquarters@CSPIonline.org that we will use to compile a CSPI Summer 2020 Recipe Collection for our members to enjoy.

ESPA - Events Services Professionals Association Offers Free Webinars for Venues, CVB & Planners

Morgan Christopher — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 18:07:28 GMT

CSPI is sharing the following information as we commit to our goal of strengthening our industry through ongoing professional education and development -

ESPA, Event Service Professionals Association, is offering free webinars on the topic "Convention Services After the COVID-19 Crisis" as a two part series. The dates and topics for each is as follows:

Wednesday, May 6: Convention Services After the COVID-19 Crisis – Venue and CVB Perspective

Thursday, May 7: Convention Services After the COVID-19 Crisis – Meeting Planner Perspective

Join our colleagues at ESPA for these upcoming webinars that will offer timely ideas and considerations as we all strategize the next best steps for our organizations.

Link to register for Wed, May 6 - https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/267094870506540047

Link to register for Thur, May 7 -
https://register.gotowebinar.com/regist…/6163577818176309263

hashtag#sharingexpertise hashtag#sharingiscaring hashtag#sharingknowledge hashtag#addingvalue hashtag#sharethis hashtag#learningtogether

Feeling the Pain: PCMA Talks to Meeting Planners About The Challenges of COVID-19

Morgan Christopher — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 16:06:55 GMT

In a recent survey, 700 meeting planners told Convene about their biggest challenges since the start of the COVID-19 crisis. Here is the link to the piece by Author Barbara Palmer - https://www.pcma.org/feeling-your-pain-covid-19-challenges/

Convention Centers Rise Up to the Challenge in These Unprecedented Times

Morgan Christopher — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 20:04:45 GMT

The need for hospital beds has put a strain on our medical infrastructure as we all work to tend to the afflicted. See how centers across the country are transforming their spaces during the pandemic of Covid-19.....

https://www.tsnn.com/news/convention-centers-transform-hospitals-fight-against-covid19

Sharing Resources Discussed on CSPI's March 2020 Town Hall Call - Up to the Minute Coronavirus Info

Morgan Christopher — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 19:14:56 GMT

The main theme of our March Town Hall Call centered on "Political Meetings" monitored by CSPI First Vice President Sharon Altland Myers, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center. To stay on top of the evolving news changing daily about the current COVID-19 pandemic, part of the call was a forum for colleagues in the Meeting Sales Industry to share their current experiences, challenges and concerns that affect our industry.

Following is a list of National Resources for you to access for up-to-the-minute information as the situation escalates in North America. Likewise, included are two local resources discussed in the call as well as a reminder to follow CSPI on social media where we will be sharing industry news with our members and followers.

National Industry Resources

· U.S. Travel Association
· PCMA News & Resources Page
· National Restaurant Association
· American Hotel & Lodging Association

Local Resources

· Contact Your Local DMO/CVB and Keep Their Sales and Marketing Team Aware of the News from Your Venue
· Stay in Touch with Your Partner Hotels/Suppliers and Update Each Other Throughout the Crisis

Remember …

· Send your immediate questions out to your Sales Professional Colleagues by using our “ASK CSPI” feature on our website, www.CSPIonline.org
· “Like” or “Follow” CSPI’s Social Media Pages on LinkedIn and Facebook - we are sharing news, articles and information during the crisis from our industry partners

Link to Updated Information About the Evolving International Health Crisis & Its Effect on Our Industry

Morgan Christopher — Sun, 01 Mar 2020 20:31:11 GMT

Members - We are sharing the "Need to Know" page on the Corona Virus from our friends at PCMA who have put together a comprehensive overview of the developing situation and information relevant to our members during this global issue. If you have specific questions about what industry partners are doing to address the crisis at their properties, remember to head to our website and use the "Ask CSPI" feature - www.CSPIonline.org

https://www.pcma.org/coronavirus-business-events-professionals-need-to-know-faq/

Newly Renovated Oregon Convention Center Unveiled

Russell Kice — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 12:42:41 GMT

by Rebecca Ellis Follow OPB Oct. 21, 2019 3:43 p.m.

The Oregon Convention Center has emerged from a 14-month renovation looking, contractors hope, a little more like Oregon.

The carpets, black and grey with green splotches, are meant to resemble lichen. Staff say the new ballroom ceiling takes its inspiration from the forest. And the wooden slats on the ceiling create a topographical map of the Cascade mountain range.

The newly renovated ceiling at the Oregon Convention Center doubles as a topographical map of the Cascade mountain range.

Oregon Convention Center

The design changes, unveiled to community members Monday afternoon, are part of a $40 million renovation that Convention Center leaders hope will boost Portland’s image as a top-notch meeting destination.

“We spent a lot of time in convention centers,” said Craig Stroud, the center’s executive director. “Usually, when you’re in them, you feel like you could be in any convention center across the United States. We wanted to change that. We wanted people in the Oregon Convention Center to know they’re in Oregon.”

The renovation included the creation of a new “connector,” which links the center’s original building with the newer addition. An expanded plaza has the potential to be turned into an amphitheater that could fit about 1,000 people. State of the art lighting and sound equipment has been tucked into the walls.

Stroud said the center was badly in need of a facelift as the 90’s-era interior space was no longer “modern and crisp.” Plus, the nearly-completed Hyatt Regency Portland, the city’s first convention center hotel, will soon open one block to the north, giving the center a new batch of visitors to impress.

“Portland as a destination has really grown nationally in the last decade or so,” Stroud said. “So we’re a known destination, people are curious about coming here, and we really need the infrastructure to support and make that happen.”

CSPI Mourns the Loss of Administrator Pam Fitzgerald

Russell Kice — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 13:39:03 GMT

Pam Fitzgerald 1/3/1968 - 9/7/2019

On Saturday September 7th, CSPI lost our big-hearted, caring and giving Administrator to the dreadful disease of Cancer

CSPI is giving Back for PAM to a non-profit close to Pam’s heart and keeping in the CSPI spirit of giving back.

Carpenter’s Shelter - Carpenter’s Shelter supports the homeless in achieving sustainable independence through shelter, guidance, education and advocacy. Pam volunteered with the “Breakfast Brigade” preparing and serving fresh meals to the Carpenter’s Shelter community.
https://carpentersshelter.org

CSPI is a 501(3)C Non Profit organization, your donation is tax deductible

Donations may be made via CSPI by clicking Donate Here

From Matt Johnson @ Connect

Russell Kice — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 17:06:15 GMT

THANKS FOR ATTENDING! Connect 2019 was a smashing success and it's all because of you! This year, Connect attendees raised more than $80,000 for breast cancer research (which was matched by an additional $80,000 donation by Connect), adopted all the puppies from the Fort Worth Puppy Lounge, participated in 37,500 face-to-face appointments and attended more than 40 education sessions. We hope you enjoyed the show as much as we did and we're excited to see you again next year! Take the Survey @ https://bit.ly/2m4Iz6f hashtag#ConnectMP

COBO CENTER HAS A NEW NAME

Russell Kice — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 15:32:30 GMT

Detroit’s Cobo Center Becomes the TCF Center

Sep 3, 2019 from ExhibitCity News

Detroit’s world-class convention center, formerly known as the Cobo Center, was officially renamed the TCF Center on Aug. 27. Announced by TCF National Bank, a subsidiary of TCF Financial Corporation, and the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority, this naming rights partnership is a 22-year deal. Chemical Bank, now a division of TCF Bank following its successful merger of equals on Aug. 1, was selected and awarded naming rights earlier this year by the DRCFA following a comprehensive, competitive process

“We couldn’t be prouder or more honored to partner with the authority on this unique opportunity to support our hometown and state. It helps ensure a continued strong, vibrant future for the world-class Detroit convention center that connects our city to the world,” TCF Executive Chairman Gary Torgow says. “It’s an important part of our larger, intentional effort to marry inclusion with investment across the city and its neighborhoods, region and state. We look forward to reaching new heights.”

“This naming rights agreement has been a goal of the DRCFA since it was formed in 2009 and TCF Bank is the perfect partner,” says Larry Alexander, chairman of the DRCFA and president and CEO of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Our partnership with TCF Bank will help to cement the convention center’s strong financial future. We continue to dedicate ourselves to providing world-class service to our customers, maximizing positive economic impact, creating region-wide jobs and expanding business opportunities for the benefit of business stakeholders and the local community.”

Against the backdrop of 10 million visitors who come to greater downtown Detroit and the 1.5 million visitors to the Convention Center annually, TCF Center will continue to grow its book of meetings, conventions and event business as it has continued to set record-breaking numbers since its $279 million renovation. In fact, TCF Center had an unprecedented year in 2018 with 244 events and a 564 percent increase in revenue since 2009.

On Aug. 1, 2019, Chemical Financial Corporation and TCF Financial Corporation closed its merger of equals becoming TCF Financial Corporation headquartered in Detroit. Both Chemical Bank and TCF Bank brands will continue in the market until mid-2020 when Chemical Bank branches will be rebranded TCF Bank. The combination creates a premier Midwest bank with $47 billion in total assets, more than 500 branches in nine states, and a specialty lending and leasing business in all 50 states. The bank will soon build a landmark tower to serve as its headquarters in downtown Detroit and helped spearhead the $35 million Strategic Neighborhood Fund to help reinvest in and bolster Detroit neighborhoods.

“I can’t think of better partners than Gary Torgow and the team at TCF Bank to help secure the future of our region’s convention center,” says Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. “Today’s announcement, combined with TCF’s commitment to build its new headquarters in downtown Detroit and Gary’s leadership building our Strategic Neighborhood Fund, shows TCF Bank is truly invested in our city and its people.”

With 723,000 square feet of exhibit space, TCF Center, formerly Cobo Center, boasts one of the largest contiguous exhibit floor spaces in North America and is the 17th largest convention center in the country. For more info, visit www.tcfcenterdetroit.com

TCF Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: TCF) is a Detroit-based financial holding company with more than $47 billion in total assets and a top 10 deposit market share in the Midwest. TCF’s primary banking subsidiary, TCF National Bank, is a premier Midwest bank offering consumer and commercial banking, trust and wealth management, and specialty leasing and lending products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. TCF has more than 500 branches primarily located in Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota with additional locations in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. For more info, visit tcfbank.com.

On Sept. 15, 2009, operational control of TCF Center transferred to the DRCFA, under a collaborative agreement by the Michigan State Legislature, the City of Detroit, and Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Each of these entities has an appointed member on the DRCFA Board. Larry Alexander is the appointee of the Governor of the State of Michigan and serves as Chairman of the Board. For more info, visit drcfa.org

Plans to expand Baltimore Convention Center, add hotel move forward

Russell Kice — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 13:06:31 GMT

As large events defect to other cities, plans to expand Baltimore Convention Center, add hotel move forward

Kim Hairston / The Baltimore Sun

City officials' hope for overhauling the Baltimore Convention Center moved forward with passage of a state bill to pay for planning and design on the project.

City officials' hope for overhauling the Baltimore Convention Center moved forward with passage of a state bill to pay for planning and design on the project. (Kim Hairston / The Baltimore Sun)

Meredith CohnContact ReporterThe Baltimore Sun

Amid the noisy debate over the future of Pimlico Race Course and other last-minute business, the General Assembly passed another measure atop Baltimore’s wish list — a bill that would provide money for planning the expansion of the city’s convention center and construction of a new convention hotel.

City boosters and tourism officials say the Baltimore Convention Center needs an overhaul to remain competitive and attract bigger groups. Built in 1979 and last renovated and expanded in 1997, the convention center is losing repeat customers such as the Natural Products Expo East and Otakon, which are taking their tens of thousands of attendees and millions in economic impact elsewhere.

The measure legislators passed before the session ended last week would approve state funding to plan and design the center’s renovation and expansion as well as the new hotel. The legislation also would direct the Maryland Stadium Authority to work with the city on estimating how much the project would cost and exploring how to pay for it all.

“We have a great opportunity to attract some larger conventions here with more, and more modern space,” said Sen. Antonio Hayes, a West Baltimore Democrat who sponsored the legislation in the Senate. “These large-scale conventions are a boon to the local economy. They also support a great number of jobs, many for local Baltimoreans.”

Under the bill legislators are sending to Republican Gov. Larry Hogan for his consideration, the state would pay for two-thirds of the estimated $50 million planning costs, with the city expected to pay the remainder. The governor can sign the bill, veto it or allow it to become law without his signature. Funding for construction would need to be approved separately.

City and state economic development leaders have concluded that a plan to build a replacement for Royal Farms Arena on the site of the Baltimore Convention Center is too ambitious and complicated to be realistic.

The effort to expand the West Pratt Street convention center began in earnest in July, when the city released a study finding expansion was needed to attract new business. The study, conducted by the stadium authority, explored options aimed at competing with the likes of Nashville, Tenn.; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh and Washington, all of which have expanded or built new convention centers within the past decade.

Of several options laid out in the study, officials chose one calling for the expansion and renovation of the convention with the addition of a new hotel. The other options included building a new convention center, adding an arena or simply upgrading the existing facility.

All the options called for demolishing and replacing the center’s East Building, which dates to 1979, and increasing the center’s square footage by 500,000 square feet to 1.7 million, with exhibit space increasing by a third to 400,000 square feet. Under the chosen plan, a 500-room hotel would go on the site of the nearby 337-room Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel.

With the legislature passing legislation that would approve funding for planning and design, officials expressed optimism that they were a step closer to new space to market.

“As the organization charged with booking and servicing events, including large, citywide meetings at the Baltimore Convention Center, Visit Baltimore’s success is intrinsically tied to the facility,” Al Hutchinson, president & CEO of the city’s tourism agency, Visit Baltimore, said in a statement. “As such, we look forward to working closely with the Maryland Stadium Authority and city of Baltimore on the planning and design work.”

The city-owned Hilton Baltimore turned a profit last year for the first time in the decade since the convention hotel opened, recording close to $1.3 million in income, a new financial audit shows.

The 757-room hotel opened in August 2008 next to the convention center downtown, two years after...

The city has touted the project’s potential for attracting millions more in economic spinoff from filling restaurants and hotel rooms and other income.

Some city officials have expressed frustration with the city-owned Hilton convention hotel that opened in 2008 and finally turned a profit in 2017 after officials refinanced the debt and cut costs. Bernard C. “Jack” Young, then City Council president and now ex officio mayor, had called for the Hilton to be sold.

As for the new proposal, Lester Davis, a spokesman for Young, said the Democratic mayor was interested in hearing what the city and state officials come up with.

“The folks at Visit Baltimore and other agencies are working really hard to move the ball and make incremental advancements, and he’s encouraged by this,” Davis said. “He’s cautiously optimistic at this point. It’s not a situation where he’s committing to any anything new. They are getting a sense of the lay of the land, and he’s looking to get up to speed and see what makes sense before moving forward.”

The proposal had support from Democratic Mayor Catherine Pugh, but she is now on medical leave.

When Baltimore loses its biggest annual convention in 2020, it will mark the fourth time in as many years that a large group left the city to find more spacious quarters elsewhere.

Natural Products Expo East, which has met on and off in Baltimore for decades and draws about 30,000 attendees, dealt...

Just as city officials have been fighting to keep the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, they’ve been building the case for overhauling the convention center.

Hutchinson had been citing losses for the convention center, which is 1.2 million square feet, smaller than newer counterparts. The Natural Products Expo said it will take its 30,000 attendees to Philadelphia in 2020; Otakon, a Japanese anime and lifestyle convention relocated to Washington in 2017; the National Athletic Trainers' Association drew about 12,000 people, but left after 2016; the American Society of Human Genetics, which drew about 8,000, moved on after 2015.

The city did announce earlier this year that it had signed the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association men’s and women’s basketball tournament for three years beginning in 2021. The weeklong event is something of an alumni reunion and celebrity-studded festival sponsored by an athletic conference made up of smaller historically black colleges and universities, including Bowie State University.

Some 150,000 people routinely attend the tournament, and officials in its current home city of Charlotte, N.C., say it has produced $50 million in economic spinoff.

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is bringing its big party to Baltimore starting in 2021.

The city and the athletic conference made up of smaller historically black colleges and universities, including Bowie State University in Maryland, announced Tuesday that the CIAA will move...

Baltimore officials said they are accommodating the event because it’s coming in the slow month of February, so hotel rooms are widely available in and around Baltimore. Games will be played at Royal Farms Arena, with other events being held at the convention center and other venues.

Leaders had said they hoped the tournament week would also boost the city’s image after riots stemming from the death in 2015 of Freddie Gray, a young, black man, from injuries suffered in police custody. The city still grapples with a historically high murder rate, and now a black eye from a scandal involving Pugh’s insider book deal with the University of Maryland Medical System, on whose board she served.

Visit Baltimore has booked 54 conventions in the city in 2019. There were 57 in 2018, 52 in 2017 and 48 in 2016. The convention center and hotels also book their own events.

Now, the work could begin soon to hash out a deal with the city and begin planning.

In a statement, the stadium authority said it “continues to work with its stakeholders and study partners on the Baltimore Convention Center Renovation/Expansion Study – Phase 2 that will outline preliminary design, cost estimating, and financing modeling. MSA looks forward to negotiating an agreement with the city of Baltimore as a basis of funding for potential next steps with allocating planning and design costs.”

meredith.cohn@baltsun.com

twitter.com/mercohn

Pittsburgh's airport shows off plans for new $1.1 billion terminal

Russell Kice — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 13:46:30 GMT

Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY Published 3:55 p.m. ET Feb. 20, 2019 | Updated 3:57 p.m. ET Feb. 20, 2019

Pittsburgh has unveiled plans for a new $1.1 billion renovation that will give the city’s resurgent airport a new passenger terminal.

The new two-story terminal, projected to open in 2023, features an undulating roof that designers say is meant to mimic the region’s rolling hills.

The design for the new terminal was handled by architect Luis Vidal, who also designed the recently opened “T2” at London’s Heathrow Airport.

Pittsburgh officials say the new terminal will speed flyers’ trips through the airport by consolidating check-in, ticketing, security and baggage claim “into one connected facility.” Currently, a people-mover tram is needed to funnel passengers between gate areas and check-in, baggage claim and security. The new terminal will replace the existing “landside” building, essentially filling in an empty area that currently exists between the gate areas and the airport’s entrance.

Departing passengers will go through the new terminal’s upper level while arriving passengers will move through the lower level as they make their way from their gates to baggage claim and the airport’s exit.

TODAY IN THE SKY: Pittsburgh to be first airport to allow non-fliers past security since 9/11

The airport released images of the new plan, but said it will “continue to be refined over the next phase of the project …, which is expected to run through summer 2019.”

It’s all part of a major makeover for the airport, which was revolutionary when it opened in 1992. Since then, however, Pittsburgh International has become suboptimal for the city’s modern-day needs.

The current design was built almost exclusively to specifications called for by US Airways, which at the time used Pittsburgh as a major connecting hub that ranked among the nation’s busiest. The airport’s four passenger concourses were laid out like an “X,” giving connecting fliers a relatively short walk between gates – no matter which concourse they arrived to and departed from.

San Diego Convention Center Expansion

Russell Kice — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 12:45:22 GMT

Initiative to expand convention center has enough signatures to qualify for ballot — but not in 2018

K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune

An initiative that would raise San Diego's hotel tax to underwrite an expansion of San Diego's Convention Center has enough signatures to make it onto a future ballot.

An initiative that would raise San Diego's hotel tax to underwrite an expansion of San Diego's Convention Center has enough signatures to make it onto a future ballot. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Lori WeisbergContact Reporter

An initiative to bankroll a long planned expansion of San Diego’s convention center has new life after the county Registrar determined Thursday that the measure has enough signatures to qualify for the ballot — just not in 2018.

The news comes more than a month after backers of the well-financed initiative effort learned that the measure failed a random count of the more than 114,000 signatures collected by the campaign. That triggered a full verification of all signatures by the county Registrar of Voters, but the time-consuming process would come too late to make it in time for this November’s ballot.

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Just how soon San Diegans will have a chance to vote on the measure remains unclear. Although the next regular election is not until 2020, Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who has made the convention center expansion a top priority, has previously said he would consider pushing for a special election next year if need be.

The ballot measure, backed by a high-powered coalition of tourism and business leaders, organized labor and homeless advocates, calls for raising the city’s room tax to as much as 15.75 percent to not only fund an enlarged center but also underwrite housing and services for the homeless and pay for road repairs.

While Faulconer would not say Thursday whether he will be seeking a special election, it’s likely he will given his longstanding desire to see the center expanded. The continued homelessness crisis is also likely to fuel a push for an earlier election.

“This initiative is an incredible opportunity to shape the future of our city for the better by tackling our biggest challenges and it can’t happen soon enough,” Faulconer said in a statement he posted on Twitter. “With one vote, San Diegans will be able to house the homeless, fix our streets, and grow our economy — and the best part is it will all be paid for by visitors staying at our hotels. I look forward to working with our diverse coalition of supporters to finally get this across the finish line.”

Backers of the measure are also likely to push for an election earlier than 2020.

“The broad-based coalition supporting this measure strongly believes these are critical issues that need to be addressed as soon as possible,” said Chris Wahl, manager of the Yes! for a Better San Diego campaign. “Now that it is certain an election will happen, we plan to work with local stakeholders and the City Council to determine which ballot makes sense.”

Under the initiative, the greatest share of revenues from the proposed tax increase — nearly $3.5 billion over 42 years — would go for the convention center project, including continued upkeep and marketing. More than $1.8 billion is to be set aside for addressing homelessness, and $551 million is targeted for road repairs.

Still a looming question is whether the city will be able to regain control of the bayfront site where the convention center expansion would be built. Longtime Port of San Diego tenants Ray Carpenter and Art Engel currently have a leasehold on the 5-acre parcel where they have plans for a $300 million hotel development.

Earlier this year, the city and port finalized a deal to pay Carpenter and Engel up to $33.2 million, including an up-front payment of $5 million, to secure control of their Fifth Avenue Landing leasehold, as it is known.

Given the uncertainty surrounding the fate of the ballot measure as everyone awaited the Registrar’s full verification, the three parties last month agreed to extend the timeline for payments until Tuesday.

Carpenter said Thursday he was not surprised by the news, but noted that his development team has not stopped processing its plans for the hotel project. He added that he does not know of any new talks scheduled with the city now that the measure has qualified.

“The city now has a lot on their plate, so we will take it day by day and go from there,” he said.

Matt Awbrey, chief of civic and external affairs for Faulconer’s office, said he expects the port, the city and Fifth Avenue Landing to reconvene “as soon as possible to revisit the payment schedule in the agreement based on the fact that this measure is moving forward.”

What remains unknown, though, is whether Fifth Avenue Landing will be pressing the parties for additional money now that it will be asked to hold off on its project for a longer period of time. Under the terms of the original agreement, which assumed a vote this November, Fifth Avenue Landing was entitled to keep the $5 million up-front payment if the initiative failed at the ballot box. It could then resume pursuing its hotel development.

The campaign to qualify the initiative was a costly one, with backers spending more than $1.4 million through the first half of this year. Major companies, including Sempra Energy, and large hotels were among the contributors.

In the waning days of the petition drive, as it appeared that the number of valid signatures were falling short of expectations, supporters began sending out appeals to the business community for help in circulating petitions. But the effort apparently was not enough to overcome issues with the validity of some signatures that were collected.

Although the campaign turned in a sizable number of signatures in August, a random check showed that they still fell short of the required 71,646 signatures of registered voters in the city of San Diego.

Backers announced shortly thereafter that they planned to sue their signature-gathering firm for breach of contract, but no suit has yet been filed.

“The committee plans to aggressively recoup the money it is owed,” Wahl said Thursday. “How this will be done is still being determined.”

The firm, Arno Petition Consultants, could not be reached for comment Thursday. A phone number on its website connects callers to a “bookings group.”

Meanwhile, tourism leaders are growing increasingly anxious about lost convention business the longer an expansion is delayed. They argue that many of the larger, more lucrative meetings will bypass San Diego in favor of cities that have centers with much more exhibit space.

Tourism Authority CEO Joe Terzi said he received a letter just last week from the American Association for Cancer Research saying it was officially canceling its booking to come to San Diego in 2023. The group said the center is no longer large enough to accommodate its continued attendance growth since the annual meeting was last held in San Diego in 2014.

“Without expansion of the Convention Center, we cannot hold our 2023 meeting in your facilities,” wrote Michael Stewart, the association’s chief financial officer. “Based on current space requirements and growth projections, the AACR will need a minimum of 600,000 square feet of exhibit space and approximately 300,000 square feet of space for the plenary hall to accommodate our annual meeting in 2023. Both of these requirements exceed the Convention Center’s capacity.”

Although the growing supply of convention space across the country is outstripping demand, popular destinations like San Diego are facing increasing competition. Anaheim recently finished enlarging its center, San Francisco's Moscone Center is in the midst of construction on its project, and the operator of the Los Angeles center has proposed a $1.2 billion expansion that would include an 850-room hotel tower.

Oregon Convention Center recognized

Russell Kice — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 12:55:04 GMT

Oregon Convention Center recognized for clean water strategy

Oregon Convention Center rain garden

Oregon Convention Center recognized for clean water strategy

Sept. 7, 2018 9:18 a.m.

Healthy watersheds advocate Salmon-Safe has recognized the Oregon Convention Center with Salmon-Safe recertification for its commitment to reducing polluted runoff to the Willamette River.

A Portland-based nonprofit, Salmon-Safe works with public and private landowners to promote reduced water use, onsite stormwater treatment, and protection of water quality. Properties like the Oregon Convention Center are certified as Salmon-Safe for extensive efforts to halt runoff from entering streams and impacting imperiled salmon.

Dan Kent, cofounder and executive director of Salmon-Safe, said the convention center stands out for its aggressive goal-setting and comprehensive approach.

“OCC is consistently motivated to implement the most ecologically responsible solutions for its site,” Kent said. “And being a stone’s throw from the Willamette, actions on their site can have a profound impact on the river.”

In the certification letter Salmon-Safe presented to the Oregon Convention Center, Salmon-Safe’s independent expert team highlighted the center’s largely pesticide-free campus, its large water-filtering rain garden, and the construction of its environmentally innovative events plaza.

Matt Uchtman, the convention center’s director of operations, said Salmon-Safe’s rigorous guidelines give the center the opportunity to set industry standards for sustainability.

“Working with Salmon-Safe helps us to look at the whole picture,” Uchtman said. “What we have is a checks and balances relationship that let’s us know we’re doing the right thing and that our contractors are living up to the expectations we’ve set forth.”

For a facility the area of 10 city blocks, the convention center contracts landscaping services for grounds keeping. With help from Salmon-Safe’s guidelines, Uchtman works directly with landscapers to ensure the property is maintained with least-toxic chemicals. Quarterly soil testing reduces the use of fertilizers, and if a certain product is required, Uchtman contacts Salmon-Safe for a list of alternatives.

In 2003, the landscaping along the building’s south side underwent a transformation into a 318-foot rain garden. Water from 5.5 acres of the convention center’s roof is channeled into pools of varying height along the garden, where plants tease out contaminates and debris.

But the convention center’s new outdoor events space was perhaps most impressive to Salmon-Safe.

Constructed with pervious surfaces, native plantings and two bioswales, rainwater travels throughout the plaza, is cooled and filtered before moving to storm sewers. And thanks to the convention center’s stringent tracking of water use, the addition of the plaza has not raised its overall water consumption since its first certification.

An upcoming remodel of the center’s north plaza has the same goal of maintaining, or even decreasing, water usage levels, while simultaneously mitigating stormwater runoff.

Along with requiring Uchtman’s staff to log water and chemical use, Kent says the real test of sustainability comes from an onsite evaluation. Every five years, during the recertification process, an independent Salmon-Safe science team in the fields of salmon health, pest management and stormwater treatment tour the site.

Pleased with the strides the convention center is making in its mission for sustainability, Uchtman is already looking ahead. The center has already conducted a study on the feasibility of the installation of a green wall that would treat stormwater on the north side of property.

Those plans could include a storage component, as well as bioswales and a rain garden expansion.

“We’re definitely more focused and aware of the impacts that we can have as a business,” Uchtman said. “The difference we can make by doing small things everywhere demonstrates our commitment to overall sustainability.”

The Oregon Convention Center was one of the first urban sites and the first convention center ever to receive Salmon-Safe certification in 2007.

Salmon-Safe has worked with more than 900 private landowners and transitioned approximately 90,000 acres of urban and agricultural land in critical West Coast salmon watersheds to certification. Founded by river and native fish conservation organization Pacific Rivers, Salmon-Safe became an independent nonprofit in 2002.

A Pair of Big Atlantic City Openings

Russell Kice — Thu, 05 Jul 2018 12:44:54 GMT

New Jersey

July 3, 2018

Two major new resort openings in Atlantic City just brought a host of new meeting and event space to the destination, plus some major new entertainment venues. The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, built on the site of the former Trump Taj Mahal, and Ocean Resort Casino, formerly Revel, both celebrated their grand opening on June 28.

Ocean Resort Casino, which held a ribbon cutting ceremony June 28 with actor Mark Wahlberg and other city and state officials, was acquired by AC Ocean Walk in January. It has gone a top-to-bottom property refresh aimed at creating what officials are describing as a welcoming, exciting and engaging destination resort casino. It is part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand.

Ocean Resort Casino has 160,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, plus 90,000 square feet of flexible outdoor special event space. The property is built around a 138,000 square foot casino floor, which includes a 7,500 square foot sports book and bar. In terms of accommodations, there are 1,399 guest rooms, all of which have views of the Atlantic Ocean. Types range from standard rooms with queen beds to one bedroom suites with king beds and a separate sitting room. Other amenities include a 40,000 square foot onsite Exhale spa (from Hyatt’s newly acquired wellness brand), six swimming pools – one of which is a dayclub that hosts live entertainment – the world’s largest indoor Topgolf Swing Suite and two nightclubs. There is also a 4,2000 seat Ovation Hall event venue that will host live entertainment and concerts, plus more than 15 restaurants. The resort is part of the World of Hyatt loyalty program, and it is pet-friendly.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City is a 17-acre property on the boardwalk. Since Hard Rock purchased it as the former Trump Taj Mahal, pouring over $500 million into a renovation that completely gutted the guest rooms and most public areas. The resort now has 150,000 square feet of meeting space, plus an aggressive entertainment lineup through its “365 Live” program, which will aim to host acts every day of the year across six different performance stages with artists from popular talent shows like American Idol, The Voice and America's Got Talent, Grammy Award winners, comedians and national touring acts. There is also a nightclub, as well as a comedy club by Howie Mandel. In terms of accommodations, there are 2,000 guestrooms and suites, plus amenities such as the Rock Spa & Salon, Body Rock Fitness Center, retail offerings, The Sound of Your Stay music amenity program and the Rock Shop. More than 20 food and beverage offerings run the gamut from the Council Oak Fish seafood restaurant to an outpost of the Sugar Factory.

The twin openings come following a challenging few years for Atlantic City’s tourism sector. The $2.4 billion mega-resort, Revel, closed in 2014 after its second bankruptcy filing, just two years after it opened. The Trump Taj Mahal closed in October 2016 amid a labor dispute; the property had previously been purchased in 2014 by investor Carl Icahn.

Fort Lauderdale Opens LGBT+ Visitor Center

Russell Kice — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 12:49:02 GMT

Last updated: 06:19 AM ET, Mon June 18 2018Fort Lauderdale Opens LGBT+ Visitor Center

LGBTQ International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association Monica Poling June 16, 2018

Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (photo via Sean Pavone / iStock / Getty Images Plus)

The Greater Fort Lauderdale area opened its first-ever LGBT+ visitor center dedicated to showcasing attractions of interest to the community on Thursday.

The new center, a joint venture between the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Greater Fort Lauderdale LGBT Chamber of Commerce, is located in Wilton Manors, which is home to the region’s largest concentration of gay residents and businesses. It will share space with the Greater Fort Lauderdale LGBT Chamber of Commerce

“We are proud to have a long and positive history of supporting the LGBT+ community,” said Richard Gray, Vice President of LGBT+ for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The opening of this Visitor Center marks another important milestone in the uniqueness of our area in recognizing the value and needs of the LGBT+ visitor. We are very excited about this latest advancement in calling attention to all of our great attractions, hotels, clubs, bars and restaurants that cater to this important audience.”

Greater Fort Lauderdale, considered one of the most diverse and welcoming destinations in the world, is home to hundreds of gay-owned and operated businesses. The region, which also has the highest concentration of same-sex couple households in the country, welcomes 1.5 million LGBT+ visitors who spend $1.5 billion on travel-related services every year.

“The economic impact the LGBT+ community locally cannot be understated, especially by LGBT+ visitors that come here from all over the world year after year,” said Keith Blackburn, CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale LGBT Chamber of Commerce. “While LGBT+ travelers have many of the same needs as straight travelers, many unique needs exist. This Visitor Center will serve as a place where people can stop in, ask for recommendations and receive information about the community, our member businesses, events and organizations.”

The Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB also recently announced it would host the first-ever Pride of the Americas Festival in 2020. The 10-day event will feature a parade, a beach party, an arts festival, social events and a human rights conference focused on LGBT+ rights. It is expected to attract more than 350,000 attendees.

Greater Fort Lauderdale is also home to one of the largest Pride Centers in the country as well as the world's first AIDS museum, the global headquarters of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association, and the Stonewall Museum, one of the only permanent spaces in the U.S. devoted to exhibitions relating to LGBT+ history and culture.

The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau became the first domestic marketing agency with a dedicated LGBT+ marketing department in 1996. It continues to pioneer LGBT+ marketing efforts, while also ensuring the destination remains inclusive and welcoming with a diverse, safe and open community for all travelers.

Travel professionals interested in booking Fort Lauderdale packages can become a Fort Lauderdale Specialist at Travel Agent Academy.

Fifth Annual Exhibitions Day Reaches Record Attendance

Russell Kice — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 18:05:33 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fifth Annual Exhibitions Day Reaches Record Attendance

Industry Professionals Advocate on Capitol Hill

DALLAS, 12 June 2018 – Exhibitions Day, the collaborative effort between exhibitions and events industry organizations held 5-6 June 2018, drew a record breaking 125 attendees who carried the industry’s message to elected officials on Capitol Hill. The International Association of Exhibitions and Events™ (IAEE) and the Exhibitions Mean Business Campaign collaborated with 20 industry organizations in this industry-wide effort now in its fifth year.

“As recently reported by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), exhibitions and events now contribute $91 billion to the U.S. GDP,” said IAEE President and CEO David DuBois, CMP, CAE, FASAE, CTA. “It is our duty and responsibility to educate our government officials on how we can work together to continue the upward growth of this important business channel.”

Day one of the event included an orientation session to provide attendees with the latest updates on the legislative issues they would discuss with members of Congress, followed by a reception sponsored by Trade Show Executive. The following day, more than 100 meetings on the Hill were held emphasizing the main issues affecting the exhibitions and events industry. These included online booking, safety and security, travel facilitation, and infrastructure investment.

“One of our industry’s strengths is that we are ‘people’ people. We believe in and truly enjoy communicating the benefits of face-to-face engagement,” said IAEE Chairperson Daniel McKinnon, CEM. “The fact that we had record attendance this year shows how passionate we are about what we do, and how significant meetings are to our economy and the global business ecosystem.”

Click on the video below to view coverage of this year’s Exhibitions Day provided by Convention News Television (CNTV):

Exhibitions Day is also a supporting effort of Global Exhibitions Day, a worldwide initiative supporting the exhibitions and events industry.

About Exhibitions Mean Business

Exhibitions Day is part of the Exhibitions Mean Business (EMB) Campaign, established in 2011 to unify and give a collective voice to the exhibitions and events industry and better advocate the benefits of face-to-face meetings to business growth and economic development. Driven by members of the industry including professional associations, venue and convention center operators, exhibitions-focused service providers, convention and visitors bureaus, and other travel and tourism organizations, EMB promotes the values of the industry through strategic advocacy campaigns, media relations efforts and stakeholder engagement initiatives. Visit www.exhibitionsmeanbusiness.org for more information.

###

Media Inquiries:

Mary Tucker

Sr. PR/Communications Manager

+1 (972) 687-9226

mtucker@iaee.com

Record-breaking 85 Countries Take Part in Global Exhibitions Day (#GED18)

Russell Kice — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 12:41:58 GMT

Record-breaking 85 Countries Take Part in Global Exhibitions Day (#GED18)

June 7, 2018

TSNN News

Exhibition professionals around the world came out in record numbers for the third Global Exhibitions Day (GED) June 6.

Not only did this highlight the industry’s role as a driver of economic growth, but also established GED 2018 as the biggest day of advocacy for the exhibition world so far, with 85 countries taking part, according to data from UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry.

This year’s GED focused on two key areas: first, to advocate industry issues with politicians and stakeholders, and secondly, on finding new ways to connect with young people to attract the right talent to the exhibition industry.

By the end of the day, the UFI team in Paris had registered activities in 85 countries and regions from all around the world, with the leading organisers, venues and service providers all being active.

This year’s success builds on the impressive results from the 2017 campaign, which already set a record for global industry advocacy.

Coordinated by UFI, this joint advocacy campaign also united 41 GED partner associations.

“I watched the action unfold throughout the day from my home country Italy,” said UFI President Corrado Peraboni.

He added, “All around the world, our industry stood up to be noticed – and we succeeded! I am especially pleased to see the prominent support from ministers in national governments who shared their understanding of how important exhibitions and business events are for their economies and citizens.”

Activities in all parts of the world GED saw a broad mix of activities, both on-site and online, promoting exhibitions as business platforms, as well as highlighting opportunities for career and business development.

Specific events and activities were arranged by many of the international and national organisers, by venues, by service providers, and also by national and regional associations.

“It has once again been absolutely amazing to see our industry united for this cause. While the whole UFI team around the world will really need some sleep now, it’s been an absolute pleasure to support our global exhibition industry community in this way,” said Kai Hattendorf, UFI managing director/CEO.

He added, “When we started GED in 2016, we were encouraged by the strong support we received. Now, just two years on, GED has helped all of us make a real difference in obtaining tangible recognition for our industry. So a huge thank-you to everyone – no matter how large or small – who joined in the GED activities.”

Preliminary data analysis shows that on Global Exhibitions Day alone, joint initiatives by the industry reached a record number of people all over the globe – both face-to-face and on social media.

Initial research suggests that the number of GED events and projects has risen yet again year-on-year.

On social media, more than 4 million individual twitter accounts were reached through messages using the #ged18 hashtag alone on GED itself - up by at least 30 percent from last year.

A list of global GED activities is available at www.globalexhibitionsday.org.

Here are some examples of the many activities that focused on education and networking around the world:

In Australia, the Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment endorsed GED in a video message to the industry. EEAA also organised the 2018 Global Exhibitions Day and Leaders’ Forum Dinner, and launched a talent acquisition campaign called “A Career for Life”.
In Asia, activities were reported at many venues in China, whilst in Thailand, the TCEB ran an “Exhibition Industry Forum” focusing on the theme of change. In India, the IEIA oversaw festivities in New Delhi, Mumbai, Greater Noida, Hyderabad and Jaipur. Meetings were organised with ministers and government officials from various states to raise awareness of how important the exhibition industry actually is. Last but not least, “IEIA Youth CONNECT” used interactive sessions to reach out to students from MICE/event management institutes to encourage them to pursue a career in the exhibition industry.
In Africa, AAXO organised the first edition of "Exhibition Games", with 44 contestants taking part in this friendly contest. The association also hosted an open conversation between organisers and suppliers to address industry issues.
In Europe, Germany’s AUMA shared the findings of national research, backed by the latest data, to demonstrate just how important the exhibition industry is for the German economy. Italy’s AEFI hosted a government advocacy event in Rome. In Spain, AFE scheduled government meetings, and IFEMA held an open day, offering a guided tour of their facilities with a special invitation for students. In Russia, RUEF organised the seventh Russian Exhibition Industry Conference in Moscow. EXPOCENTRE Moscow assembled a display of vintage exhibition posters in the Vystavochnaya (exhibition) metro station. In France, UNIMEV hosted the third Annual Global Exhibitions Day Run in Paris. In addition, young industry professionals from many countries talked about their career paths and motivation for working in the exhibition industry.

• In the Middle East, the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) adjusted the lighting of its roof sun-wells to reflect the name of the event (“GED18”), creating a unique visual over the course of the week. The Abu Dhabi-based ADNEC group gathered and linked up staff at their different venues from around the world, hence demonstrating their connectedness.

In North America, IAEE invited its members to travel to Washington DC for a day of advocacy talks with parliamentarians and their staff. Both Freeman and GES, headquartered in the USA, ran activities globally showcasing the broad range of career activities in the industry.
In Latin America, Corferias (Colombia) is currently holding the lead in the global #GEDNumberChallenge - gathering 510 industry professionals in one GED picture. AMPROFEC members hosted events all across the country in Mexico.

In addition, this year saw a huge rise in the number of videos posted online. Many young industry colleagues across the globe joined in on the "Follow Me" campaign and shared their working environments on social networks, showcasing how attractive and multifaceted our industry is.

Global players Reed, UBM, Comexposium and GES (to name just a few) were particularly active here.

More details about the GED activities that took place around the world are available at www.globalexhibitionsday.org.

There, all GED participants can record their specific activities on a dedicated database.

“We are calling on everyone to share their activities with the global community to help establish best practices,” said Christian Druart from UFI’s GED project team. GED Awards recognise this year’s best initiatives. In the coming weeks, UFI’s media partner Exhibition World, together with the UFI team, will review all reported GED activities, and select best practice examples to be shared with the rest of the industry.

Winners will receive the “GED Award” in the following five categories: Most Creative Activity, Highest Profile Online Activity, Biggest Scale Physical Activity, Industry Impact Award, and (new this year) the Talent Promotion Award.

Exhibitions Day always takes place on the first Wednesday in June. GED 2019 is therefore scheduled June 5, 2019.

The 41 GED partner associations under the UFI umbrella are: AAXO (South Africa), AEFI (Italy), AEO (UK), AFE (Spain), AFECA (Asia), AFIDA (Central & South America), AMPROFEC (Mexico), AOCA (Argentina), AUMA (Germany), CAEM (Canada), CEFA (Central Europe), CENTREX (Central Europe), CFI (Italy), EEAA (Australasia), EEIA (EU), EFU (Ukraine), EMECA (Europe), EXSA (South Africa), FAIRLINK (Sweden), FAMAB (Germany), HKECIA (Hong-Kong), IAEE (USA), IDFA (Germany), IECA (Indonesia), IEIA (India), IELA (Global), IFES (Global), LECA (Lebanon), MACEOS (Malaysia), MFTA (Macao), PCEI (Poland), RUEF (Russia), SACEOS/SECB (Singapore), Shanghai Convention and Exhibition Industries Association (China), SISO (USA), TEA (Thailand), TECA (Taiwan), TFOA (Turkey), UBRAFE (Brazil) and UNIMEV (France).

#ExhibitionsDay

Russell Kice — Wed, 06 Jun 2018 12:46:55 GMT

Today’s the day

Today we take our message to Washington, D.C. to meet with federal lawmakers about issues and legislation affecting the U.S. exhibitions industry. Right now, more than 100 industry professionals are beginning their meetings in D.C. so let’s show them our support.

12700 Park Central Drive Suite 308 | Dallas, TX 75251 | (972) 458-8002

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Marriott unveils rehab for 81-year-old Sheraton brand

Russell Kice — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 12:40:28 GMT

By Jeri Clausing / June 04, 2018

Marriott said 25% of Sheraton owners have committed $500 million to the renovations, which will transform lobbies into town square-style gathering areas.

NEW YORK -- Marriott International on Monday unveiled the latest rehab of the 81-year-old Sheraton brand, which has struggled for decades to maintain consistency and relevancy around the globe.

The company said 25% of Sheraton owners have committed $500 million to the renovations, which will transform the lobbies into town square-style gathering areas with what Marriott calls coffee bar-bars (the coffee bar will transform into a regular bar in the evening), partially open small meeting rooms, communal work spaces with locking drawers, and sound-proof privacy booths where guests can duck in to make quick phone calls.

The guestrooms will be modernized with a focus on larger bathrooms and a desk that can be raised or lowered to function as a sitting or standing work station, even a dining room table.

The renovation is the latest in a string of attempts to upgrade the brand, which Starwood admitted in 2007 it almost gave up on. But the brand constitutes 42% of the portfolio of hotels Marriott acquired when it bought Starwood two years ago and is now Marriott's third-largest brand.

The Sheraton New York Times Square.

With 444 hotels in 72 countries, it is the most global of all of Marriott's 30 brands, said global brand officer Tina Edmundson. But it also is likely its most troubled.

"From the moment we closed the Starwood merger in late 2016, the revitalization of Sheraton has been a top priority for our company," said Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International.

Long known for having a more luxurious product overseas than in the United States, Starwood for nearly a decade worked to upgrade and make the Sheraton brand more consistent globally, including a $4 billion effort in 2008 that included plans for a major purge of subpar hotels.

But those attempts were disjointed, said Julius Robinson, senior vice president and global brand leader at Marriott.

Edmundson said her team traveled the world to meet with Sheraton owners on every continent before finalizing the concept.

"We knew that the way to restore this incredible brand was focus and collaboration with our hotel owners," Sorenson said. "We wanted to build on Sheraton's rich legacy of sitting at the heart of communities across the globe, but also to create a differentiated positioning and compelling proposition for our owners.

"With our Sheraton transformation plan, we've put together all of the pieces of the equation to work cooperatively with our owners to set this iconic brand on a new, disciplined and successful path. We are ready, our vision is clear and the energy is robust for Sheraton."

Trade Show Executive's Fastest 50 Awards & Summit June 13-15, 2018 - CONGRATULATIONS to the FASTEST 50!

Russell Kice — Wed, 30 May 2018 15:34:03 GMT

Fastest 50 – By Net Square Feet of Exhibit Space

ACI-NA Annual Conference & Exhibition (Airports Council International – North America), Show Management Solutions, Inc.
AFCEA TechNet Augusta, SPARGO, Inc.
AFCEA/U.S. Naval Institute Western Conference & Exposition, SPARGO, Inc.
Air, Space & Cyber Conference, NTP Events
American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo), Motorcycle Industry Council
American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference & Expo, American Occupational Therapy Association
AmericasMart® April Atlanta Apparel®, AmericasMart® Atlanta
AmericasMart® Atlanta Fall Immediate Delivery Show, AmericasMart® Atlanta
AmericasMart® February Atlanta Apparel®, AmericasMart® Atlanta
AmericasMart® June Atlanta Apparel®, AmericasMart® Atlanta
AmericasMart® VOW | New World of Bridal, AmericasMart® Atlanta
APA Annual Congress, American Payroll Association
APA Annual Meeting, American Psychiatric Association
Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference, Argentum
ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition, American Society of Hematology
ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy, American Specialty Toy Retailing Association
ATSSA’s Annual Convention & Traffic Expo, American Traffic Safety Services Association
Border Security Expo, Clarion Events North America
Boutique Design New York (BDNY), Hospitality Media Group (HMG)
Channel Partners Conference & Expo, Informa Exhibitions U.S.
CLEAN GULF Conference & Exhibition, Access Intelligence, LLC
The Clean Show, Riddle & Associates
CONEXPO-CON/AGG, Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Cultivate, AmericanHort
EDspaces, Education Market Association
ICSC New York Deal Making, International Council of Shopping Centers
iLandscape: The Illinois-Wisconsin Landscape Show, Illinois Landscape Contractors Association
International Production & Processing Expo, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, American Feed Industry Association, and North American Meat Institute
International Roofing Expo, Informa Exhibitions U.S.
International Summit & Exhibition on Health Facility Planning, Design & Construction (PDC), American Society for Healthcare Engineering
The International Surface Event: SURFACES | StonExpo/Marmomac | TileExpo, Informa Exhibitions U.S.
ISC East (International Security Conference & Exposition), Reed Exhibitions
KeHE Holiday Show, SmithBucklin
KeHE Summer Selling Show, SmithBucklin
LightShow West, Exponation, LLC
MJBizCon, Marijuana Business Daily, a division of Anne Holland Ventures Inc.
NAB Show New York, National Association of Broadcasters
The NAFEM Show (North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers), SmithBucklin
NAHB International Builders’ Show, National Association of Home Builders
NCIA Cannabis Business Summit® & Expo (National Cannabis Industry Association), Global Strategic Management Institute
ProMat®, MHI
RAPID + TCT, SME
RIMS Annual Conference & Exhibition, Risk & Insurance Management Society, Inc.
RSA® Conference, RSA Conference
Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, Diversified Communications
SIGGRAPH, International Conference & Exhibition on Computer Graphics & Interactive Techniques, Hall-Erickson, Inc.
Techtextil North America, Messe Frankfurt, Inc.
Valve World Americas Expo & Conference, Messe Düsseldorf North America
VenueConnect, International Association of Venue Managers
The Water Expo, Show Winners Corporation

Fastest 50 – By Exhibiting Companies

AAPEX (Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo), William T. Glasgow, Inc.
ACI-NA Annual Conference & Exhibition (Airports Council International – North America), Show Management Solutions, Inc.
ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting, American College of Medical Genetics & Genomics
AFCEA TechNet Augusta, SPARGO, Inc.
AFCEA/U.S. Naval Institute Western Conference & Exposition, SPARGO, Inc.
ANESTHESIOLOGY®, American Society of Anesthesiologists
APA Annual Convention, American Psychological Association
APA Annual Meeting, American Psychiatric Association
ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition, American Society of Hematology
ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy, American Specialty Toy Retailing Association
AUA Annual Meeting, American Urological Association
The Battery Show, UBM Americas
BOMA International Conference & Expo (Building Owners & Managers Association), Show Management Solutions, Inc.
Border Security Expo, Clarion Events North America
Boutique Design New York (BDNY), Hospitality Media Group (HMG)
Channel Partners Conference & Expo, Informa Exhibitions U.S.
The Clean Show, Riddle & Associates
CONEXPO-CON/AGG, Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Cosmoprof North America, North American Beauty Events LLC
Cultivate, AmericanHort
E3, IRL Events LLC
EDspaces, Education Market Association
Fire-Rescue International, International Association of Fire Chiefs
Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo, Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association
IBEX, The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference, IBEX, The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference
IFDA Distribution Solutions Conference, International Foodservice Distributors Association
iLandscape: The Illinois-Wisconsin Landscape Show, Illinois Landscape Contractors Association
International Summit & Exhibition on Health Facility Planning, Design & Construction (PDC), American Society for Healthcare Engineering
KeHE Summer Selling Show, SmithBucklin
LightShow West, Exponation, LLC
MJBizCon, Marijuana Business Daily, a division of Anne Holland Ventures Inc.
The NAFEM Show (North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers), SmithBucklin
National RV Trade Show, Recreation Vehicle Industry Association
NCIA Cannabis Business Summit® & Expo (National Cannabis Industry Association), Global Strategic Management Institute
NIGP Annual Forum & Products Exposition, NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement
NSGC Annual Conference, National Society of Genetic Counselors
Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit Convention & Expo, Produce Marketing Association
ProMat®, MHI
RAPID + TCT, SME
RSA® Conference, RSA Conference
SAMPE Seattle Conference & Exhibition, Society for the Advancement of Material & Process Engineering
SHOT Show (Shooting, Hunting & Outdoor Trade Show), National Shooting Sports Foundation
SIGGRAPH, International Conference & Exhibition on Computer Graphics & Interactive Techniques, Hall-Erickson, Inc.
Solar Power International, Solar Energy Trade Shows, LLC
Techtextil North America, Messe Frankfurt, Inc.
Texas Restaurant Association Marketplace, Texas Restaurant Association
Valve World Americas Expo & Conference, Messe Düsseldorf North America
VenueConnect, International Association of Venue Managers
The Water Expo, Show Winners Corporation
Western Regional Dental Convention, Arizona Dental Association

Fastest 50 – By Total Attendance

AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo, American Association for Clinical Chemistry
AAPD Annual Session, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
ACI-NA Annual Conference & Exhibition (Airports Council International – North America), Show Management Solutions, Inc.
ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting, American College of Medical Genetics & Genomics
AES Annual Meeting (American Epilepsy Society), Corcoran Expositions, Inc.
AFCEA TechNet Augusta, SPARGO, Inc.
Air, Space & Cyber Conference, NTP Events
American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference & Expo, American Occupational Therapy Association
APA Annual Convention, American Psychological Association
APA Annual Meeting, American Psychiatric Association
Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference, Argentum
Baseball Trade Show, Minor League Baseball
The Battery Show, UBM Americas
Border Security Expo, Clarion Events North America
Boutique Design New York (BDNY), Hospitality Media Group (HMG)
Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Channel Partners Conference & Expo, Informa Exhibitions U.S.
CLEAN GULF Conference & Exhibition, Access Intelligence, LLC
The Clean Show, Riddle & Associates
CLMA KnowledgeLab (Clinical Laboratory Management Association), SmithBucklin
Coverings, Taffy Event Strategies
Digital Signage Expo, Exponation, LLC
EDspaces, Education Market Association
Fire-Rescue International, International Association of Fire Chiefs
Global Specialty Coffee Expo, Specialty Coffee Association
Government Fleet Expo & Conference (GFX), Bobit Business Media
HAI HELI-EXPO®, Helicopter Association International
IAAPA Attractions Expo, International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions
ICMA Annual Conference (International City/County Management Association), Corcoran Expositions, Inc.
iLandscape: The Illinois-Wisconsin Landscape Show, Illinois Landscape Contractors Association
InfoComm, AVIXA – Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association
International Roofing Expo, Informa Exhibitions U.S.
IPC APEX EXPO, IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries
KeHE Summer Selling Show, SmithBucklin
MJBizCon, Marijuana Business Daily, a division of Anne Holland Ventures Inc.
NAHB International Builders’ Show, National Association of Home Builders
National Catholic Educational Association Convention & Expo, National Catholic Educational Association
National Postal Forum, National Postal Forum
NCIA Cannabis Business Summit® & Expo (National Cannabis Industry Association), Global Strategic Management Institute
Optometry’s Meeting®, American Optometric Association
RAPID + TCT, SME
RSA® Conference, RSA Conference
SC17, The International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage & Analysis, Association for Computing Machinery and IEEE Computer Society
SIGGRAPH, International Conference & Exhibition on Computer Graphics & Interactive Techniques, Hall-Erickson, Inc.
SupplySide West, Informa Exhibitions U.S.
Techtextil North America, Messe Frankfurt, Inc.
Valve World Americas Expo & Conference, Messe Düsseldorf North America
VenueConnect, International Association of Venue Managers
The Water Expo, Show Winners Corporation
WEFTEC (Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition & Conference), Water Environment Federation

THE TSE FAST TRACKERS – THE “NEXT 50”

This year TSE will also honor the so-called “Next 50,” the shows that were not fast enough to crack the Top 50, but are strong contenders for next year. They will also earn some well-deserved recognition at the Fastest 50 Awards & Summit.

Next 50 – By Net Square Feet of Exhibit Space

AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo, American Association for Clinical Chemistry
AFCEA TechNet Asia-Pacific, SPARGO, Inc.
American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, SPARGO, Inc.
APA Annual Convention, American Psychological Association
APTA Annual Meeting & EXPO (American Public Transportation Association), NTP Events
ARVO Annual Meeting (Association for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology), NTP Events
ASCO Annual Meeting, American Society of Clinical Oncology
ASHE Annual Conference & Technical Exhibition, American Society for Healthcare Engineering
ASTRO Annual Meeting, American Society for Radiation Oncology
ATA Trade Show, Archery Trade Association
Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market® – January, AmericasMart® Atlanta
AUA Annual Meeting, American Urological Association
AVIATION WEEK MRO Americas, Aviation Week Network (an Informa business)
The Battery Show, UBM Americas
BIOMEDevice Boston, Design & Manufacturing New England, ESC Boston, PLASTEC New England, UBM Americas
BOMA International Conference & Expo (Building Owners & Managers Association), Show Management Solutions, Inc.
CES®, Consumer Technology Association™
Cosmoprof North America, North American Beauty Events LLC
Coverings, Taffy Event Strategies
Digestive Disease Week®, Digestive Disease Week®
E3, IRL Events LLC
FABTECH, SME
FDIC International (Fire Department Instructors Conference), PennWell Corporation
Global Pet Expo, American Pet Products Association and Pet Industry Distributors Association
IBEX, The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference, IBEX, The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference
ICAST (International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades), American Sportfishing Association
ICMA Annual Conference (International City/County Management Association), Corcoran Expositions, Inc.
IFDA Distribution Solutions Conference, International Foodservice Distributors Association
IMEX America, IMEX America Ltd.
InfoComm, AVIXA – Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association
IPC APEX EXPO, IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries
ISA International Sign Expo, International Sign Association
ISSA/INTERCLEAN North America, ISSA – The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association
LIGHTFAIR® International, AmericasMart® Atlanta, managing partner with the International Association of Lighting Designers and the Illuminating Engineering Society
Mid-West Truck & Trailer Show, Mid-West Truckers Association
NACS Show, NACS, Advancing Convenience & Fuel Retailing
National Postal Forum, National Postal Forum
Natural Products Expo East/Biofach America, New Hope Network, an Informa business
Natural Products Expo West/Engredea, New Hope Network, an Informa business
NIGP Annual Forum & Products Exposition, NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement
ONS Annual Congress, Oncology Nursing Society
OSBA Capital Conference & Trade Show, Ohio School Boards Association
PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO, PMMI: The Association for Packaging & Processing Technologies
SAMPE Seattle Conference & Exhibition, Society for the Advancement of Material & Process Engineering
Sea-Air-Space Exposition, Navy League of the United States
Solar Power International, Solar Energy Trade Shows, LLC
SupplySide West, Informa Exhibitions U.S.
Western Regional Dental Convention, Arizona Dental Association
The Work Truck Show®, NTEA – The Association for the Work Truck Industry
WWETT – Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport Show, Informa Exhibitions U.S.

Next 50 – By Exhibiting Companies

AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo, American Association for Clinical Chemistry
AES Annual Meeting (American Epilepsy Society), Corcoran Expositions, Inc.
AFCEA TechNet Asia-Pacific, SPARGO, Inc.
Air, Space & Cyber Conference, NTP Events
American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, SPARGO, Inc.
American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo), Motorcycle Industry Council
American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference & Expo, American Occupational Therapy Association
AmericasMart® Atlanta Fall Immediate Delivery Show, AmericasMart® Atlanta
APA Annual Congress, American Payroll Association
APTA Combined Sections Meeting, American Physical Therapy Association
Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference, Argentum
ARVO Annual Meeting (Association for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology), NTP Events
ASHE Annual Conference & Technical Exhibition, American Society for Healthcare Engineering
ATA Trade Show, Archery Trade Association
ATSSA’s Annual Convention & Traffic Expo, American Traffic Safety Services Association
AVIATION WEEK MRO Americas, Aviation Week Network (an Informa business)
BIOMEDevice Boston, Design & Manufacturing New England, ESC Boston, PLASTEC New England, UBM Americas
CES®, Consumer Technology Association™
CLEAN GULF Conference & Exhibition, Access Intelligence, LLC
Coverings, Taffy Event Strategies
Digital Signage Expo, Exponation, LLC
Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition, International Association of Exhibitions & Events
Gear Expo, NTP Events
GIE + EXPO (Green Industry & Equipment Expo), Sellers Expositions
Global Pet Expo, American Pet Products Association and Pet Industry Distributors Association
HAI HELI-EXPO®, Helicopter Association International
HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition, Healthcare Information & Management Systems Society
ICAST (International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades), American Sportfishing Association
ICUEE, The International Construction & Utility Equipment Exposition, Association of Equipment Manufacturers
IMEX America, IMEX America Ltd.
The International Surface Event: SURFACES | StonExpo/Marmomac | TileExpo, Informa Exhibitions U.S.
IPC APEX EXPO, IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries
ISA International Sign Expo, International Sign Association
ISC East (International Security Conference & Exposition), Reed Exhibitions
MAGIC – February, UBM Americas
Mid-West Truck & Trailer Show, Mid-West Truckers Association
NAHB International Builders’ Show, National Association of Home Builders
National Postal Forum, National Postal Forum
Natural Products Expo East/Biofach America, New Hope Network, an Informa business
Natural Products Expo West/Engredea, New Hope Network, an Informa business
Pacific Marine Expo, Diversified Communications
PLMA’s Private Label Trade Show, Private Label Manufacturers Association
Annual Police Security Expo, Sitework Associates, Inc.
The Rental Show, American Rental Association
RSNA Scientific Assembly & Annual Meeting, Radiological Society of North America
Sea-Air-Space Exposition, Navy League of the United States
Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, Diversified Communications
SGIA Expo, Specialty Graphic Imaging Association
SupplySide West, Informa Exhibitions U.S.
World Dairy Expo, World Dairy Expo

Next 50 – By Total Attendance

AAPEX (Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo), William T. Glasgow, Inc.
AFCEA/U.S. Naval Institute Western Conference & Exposition, SPARGO, Inc.
AHRMM Annual Conference & Exhibition, Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management, a personal membership group of the American Hospital Association
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition, American Academy of Pediatrics
AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo, Association of periOperative Registered Nurses
APTA Annual Meeting & EXPO (American Public Transportation Association), NTP Events
APTA Combined Sections Meeting, American Physical Therapy Association
ASHE Annual Conference & Technical Exhibition, American Society for Healthcare Engineering
ATSSA’s Annual Convention & Traffic Expo, American Traffic Safety Services Association
AUA Annual Meeting, American Urological Association
AVIATION WEEK MRO Americas, Aviation Week Network (an Informa business)
BIOMEDevice Boston, Design & Manufacturing New England, ESC Boston, PLASTEC New England, UBM Americas
CES®, Consumer Technology Association™
Cosmoprof North America, North American Beauty Events LLC
Cultivate, AmericanHort
Digestive Disease Week®, Digestive Disease Week®
E3, IRL Events LLC
EMS World Expo, HMP, LLC
Everything Under the Sun Expo, Florida Swimming Pool Association
FDIC International (Fire Department Instructors Conference), PennWell Corporation
GIE + EXPO (Green Industry & Equipment Expo), Sellers Expositions
Global Pet Expo, American Pet Products Association and Pet Industry Distributors Association
Golf Industry Show, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
HydroVision International, PennWell Corporation
IBEX, The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference, IBEX, The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference
ICAST (International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades), American Sportfishing Association
International Production & Processing Expo, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, American Feed Industry Association, and North American Meat Institute
The International Surface Event: SURFACES | StonExpo/Marmomac | TileExpo, Informa Exhibitions U.S.
ISC West (International Security Conference & Exposition), Reed Exhibitions
KeHE Holiday Show, SmithBucklin
LightShow West, Exponation, LLC
Mid-West Truck & Trailer Show, Mid-West Truckers Association
NAB Show New York, National Association of Broadcasters
NACS Show, NACS, Advancing Convenience & Fuel Retailing
The NAFEM Show (North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers), SmithBucklin
The NAMM Show, NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants
Natural Products Expo East/Biofach America, New Hope Network, an Informa business
Natural Products Expo West/Engredea, New Hope Network, an Informa business
ONS Annual Congress, Oncology Nursing Society
Pacific Marine Expo, Diversified Communications
PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO, PMMI: The Association for Packaging & Processing Technologies
Annual Police Security Expo, Sitework Associates, Inc.
ProMat®, MHI
Retail’s BIG Show, National Retail Federation
The Running Event, Formula4Media
Sea-Air-Space Exposition, Navy League of the United States
Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, Diversified Communications
Solar Power International, Solar Energy Trade Shows, LLC
Western Regional Dental Convention, Arizona Dental Association

New Coalition Formed to End Sexual Harassment in the Events Industry

Russell Kice — Wed, 30 May 2018 15:31:21 GMT

May 25, 2018

Lisa Plummer Savas

In the wake of movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp, every industry must act to end sexual harassment and create positive, lasting change.

The exhibitions and meetings industries are no exception.

A new coalition recently was formed to eradicate sexual harassment in the events industry and workplace; a task force that will identify tools and develop new resources to assist in educating individuals and the events industry about sexual harassment.

Comprising leaders and executives from organizations including the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE); Association for Women in Events (AWE); the Events Industry Council (EIC); the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE); IMEX; JMIC; Meeting Planners International (MPI); Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA); and SITE, the group was formed after each group determined that this issue required policies that span beyond the confines of each individual organization.

“All the organizations came together because the ethical concerns and human rights would be better served working together, so we can stop sexual harassment from occurring in the industry,” said John H. Graham, IV, president and CEO of ASAE.

Industry leaders who have joined this task force include:

John H. Graham, President and CEO, ASAE
Susan Robertson, Executive Vice President, ASAE and ASAE Foundation President
Bob Skelton, Chief Administration Officer, ASAE
Kiki J. Fox, President and Co-Founder, AWE
Carrie Abernathy, Past-President & Co-Founder, AWE
Johnnie White, Treasurer, AWE
Julie Sullivan, Vice President, AWE
Nicole Unger, Secretary, AWE
Karen Kotowski, CEO, EIC
Cathy Breden, COO, IAEE
Carina Bauer, CEO, IMEX
Rod Cameron, Executive Director, JMIC
Amanda Armstrong, Chair, MPI
Sherrif Karamat, President and CEO, PCMA
Rhonda Brewer, Immediate Past President, SITE

While Abernathy and Fox gathered these industry leaders together for regular meetings and discussed the direction of the coalition, Fox has been charged with organizing action items and driving the initiative.

The group’s next step is to release a webinar introducing experts on the subject matter.

“It’s imperative that our organizations present a united front against sexual harassment in the industry,” Fox said. “Together, we are declaring zero tolerance for behavior that harasses or discriminates.”

All nine organizations involved will be posting more details about upcoming education and initiatives around this subject to their respective website homepages, while the coalition encourages the events industry to follow along and participate.