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 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.

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.

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.

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)

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).

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 To opt out from Exhibitions Day mailings, click here. | To unsubscribe, please click here

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."

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• 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

May 25, 2018

Lisa Plummer Savas

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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.