Blogs
Feb 21, 2023
As soon as I heard about ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer) – an AI chatbot program from a company called OpenAI that gives detailed answers to questions in a matter of seconds – my interest was instantly piqued.
I first heard about it when a professor was on the news talking about how students were using it to write assignments and how the professor thought it was easy to tell when the students did.
I also heard a recent marketing podcast on which it was debated if and when the chatbot program could take over basic copywriting duties.
The jury definitely still is out on… more
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Feb 15, 2023
QR codes are proving to be a winning solution for many companies around the world. British Airways uses them to cut down on queues. Italian fashion brand Diesel uses them to authenticate apparel. And video game developer Cygames used 1,500 drones in Shanghai to replicate a giant QR code in the sky that people could scan to access a game.
The point? With QR codes, you can eliminate friction points and show off your creativity. When it comes to trade shows and other business events, QR codes can give attendees a streamlined, engaging experience.
Part of the beauty of using QR codes for… more
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Feb 08, 2023
Everywhere we look, from every cybersecurity firm that is monitoring the situation, the data indicate an ever-increasing level of cybercrime activity. Cybercrime is the ultimate Energizer Bunny—it just keeps going and going with increasing volume. These are data-driving insights. It is not media hype created simply to drive the cybersecurity industry, but rather hard facts seen from all angles and through all lenses and corroborated by both corporate, nonprofit and government measurements.
Have you stopped to ask why this increase continues and maybe more importantly, why cybercriminals are… more
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Feb 01, 2023
Business leaders are increasingly asking their marketing teams to innovate upon key performance metrics—that’s how we create, assess and use measurements to drive superior outcomes. Consumer preferences and trends today are evolving at a rapid speed and frequency. To keep pace, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is needed for organizations to collect data, analyze and extract actionable insights.
Event marketers have long been siloed, operating under the assumption that events were the sole critical touchpoint in a buyer’s journey. That’s no longer the case, as event leaders… more
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Jan 25, 2023
Event marketing looks different than it did three years ago. Virtual and hybrid events have proven their merit and reset attendee expectations. Yet, for all the changes, one fact has remained consistent: It doesn’t matter if an event is offline or online. What matters is the experience it provides.
Many event marketers forget this truth; they assume that events have to “wow” attendees in every way. Unsurprisingly, event marketers panic because they don’t have the resources to keep up with these imagined standards. But although audiences might be awed by expensive theatrics, technology and… more
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Jan 18, 2023
From Dec. 11-13, Expo! Expo!, the annual conference and exhibition of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), was held in Louisville, Ky. My co-founder, Oliver Rowe, and I made the decision to exhibit at the event, as we felt the association and show organizer audience was right for us. Here are four things we learned from our discussions at the event and its content:
In-Person Is Back—With a Vengeance
Not a single planner we talked to was planning virtual events. Everyone’s inquiries related to their in-person annual conference or education session. This is… more
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Jan 11, 2023
In-person events have returned in full force. From Q1 to Q3 of 2022 alone, in-person events held on Bizzabo’s Event Experience OS saw a 724% increase. More than 98% of event organizers intend to host at least one in-person event by year’s end, and most will have planned at least three events in 2022, according to Bizzabo’s recent survey. With this renewed focus on gathering in person, marketers are folding events of all kinds into their demand generation efforts to nurture audiences, grow revenue and drive business outcomes. Read on for three key ways to use events to improve your marketing… more
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Jan 04, 2023
The atmosphere and conversations at the 2022 TSNN Awards, held in November at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, were a welcome transition from the recovery and survival mentality of 2021, as the focus was on the future. Hot topics among the group of hundreds of top trade show, conference and for-profit event organizers included DEI, returning to revenue best practices and tactics to overcome new challenges for enhancing the on-site experience while keeping expenses in check.
However, the most poignant question of the week, in my opinion, was asked by Rich Stone, CEO of EXPOCAD, who asked the… more
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Dec 28, 2022
As we at District Marketing (formerly Fixation Marketing) mark the end of our first year in business, review the performance of our clients’ events and look at changes and opportunities in this post-pandemic environment, we are thinking a lot about trends.
So, having dug through some campaigns and surveyed our staff, we thought we’d share a list of some trends we’re seeing in trade show and event marketing.
Navigating chaos
A topline consideration in discussing trends is the ongoing challenge of predictive analysis, goal setting and pacing and strategy development following the… more
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Dec 08, 2022
In an atmosphere when people are pressured by time and money to ensure they invest in being at an event that delivers the ROI they want to see – do you know what your event’s Unique Value Proposition is? Do you have it clearly defined?
Now more than ever, it’s critical that your teams, especially sales and marketing, are able to articulate exactly why someone needs to the spend dollars to be on your show’s exhibit floor or attend the event overall.
Inc. Magazine describes a UVP as: “A unique value proposition (UVP), or unique selling proposition (USP), is a concise, straight-to-the-point… more
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Partner Voices
Just when it seems like Las Vegas can’t get any bigger, brighter or more exciting for groups, MGM Resorts raises the bar again. The company continues to invest and innovate across its portfolio of Las Vegas resorts, with new attractions and upgraded experiences for attendees of all interests.
Remodeled Guest Rooms
MGM Grand is the largest single hotel in the world with over 5,000 guest rooms and an 850,000-square-foot conference center. It is home to the newly remodeled MGM Grand Studio Tower—700 reimagined guest rooms with a fun mid-century vibe. Nearby, the iconic New York-New York Las Vegas Hotel & Casino recently completed a $63M redesign and remodel of its 1,830 guest rooms and 155 suites.
Down the street, Bellagio Las Vegas is sporting renovated rooms in the Spa Tower with sunrise-inspired decor and luxurious soaking tubs in Premier King rooms after a $110-million transformation.
Reinvented Luxury Experiences
The Luxury Meetings District, made up of Bellagio Las Vegas, ARIA Resort & Casino, Vdara Hotel & Spa, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Park MGM and NoMad Las Vegas, is now more connected than ever before. A new interior walkway opened this October for a seamless attendee experience – connecting Vdara, Bellagio, and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, guests can now walk from Park MGM to Bellagio in around 15 minutes.
New on the scene in the Luxury Meetings District is Cathedrale at ARIA, TAO Group’s upscale establishment specializing in exquisite French-Mediterranean cuisine offering elevated private dining experiences that opened in May.
Heralded by World’s Best 50 Restaurants, GQ and VOGUE, LPM at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is opening this fall and will deliver its signature spontaneity and imaginative celebration of France’s Mediterranean cuisine, art, and culture to the unique luxury resort in impeccable fashion.
A “New Wave for Mandalay Bay
A new wave of enhancements and experiences has arrived at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, including Flanker Kitchen + Sports Bar, an 8,445-square-foot restaurant that opened this June, perfect for pre- and post-game eats and drinks. Event planner’s favorite, Chef Michael Mina’s StripSteak, received a full renovation and now includes one of the largest private dining rooms on The Strip. Retro by Voltaggio debuts a one-year residency with a fun take on pop culture of the 80s and 90s with classic American dishes. An exciting addition planned for 2024 is Swingers, a 40,000-square-foot oasis of street food, miniature golf and art at Mandalay Bay.
Most exciting for meeting planners, the 2.1 million-square-foot Mandalay Bay Convention Center is undergoing a complete refresh, with lightened space, added eye-catching art, and improved technology infrastructure for even more flexible space. Energy-efficient digital signage now leads the way with faster internet speeds and new AV options.
From renovated guest rooms and meeting spaces to celebrated dining options and dedicated teams, MGM Resorts is dedicated to delivering exceptional and innovative meeting experiences.