Experts & Opinions
May 28, 2020
As an events professional accustomed to working on-site at conferences and trade shows, you’re used to running around the showfloor, grabbing just a few fleeting moments throughout your jam-packed day to sit down, take your shoes off and relax your tired body. But now, with most of us strapped to our home desk chairs and likely spending more time than we’d like on video conferences, we’re facing a different set of aches and pains – those that come from lack of activity, slouching over a computer and hours of sitting.
To help rejuvenate your body as well as calm any anxiety that you might… more
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May 26, 2020
Has a cancelled or postponed trade show made you feel stuck and wondering when you’ll be able to pick up where you left off? You don’t have to wait until trade shows can resume to push toward the goals you had made prior to cancellations. Having a contingency plan can help keep you on track toward your trade show marketing goals, rather than letting your efforts fall stagnant.
Continue with planned meetings.
If you had plans to meet with prospective or current clients at your cancelled trade show, don’t let these important interactions slip through your fingers! It’s essential that you… more
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May 21, 2020
It seems like every trade show and event is “pivoting” to virtual right now. For those live events that didn’t integrate a virtual component before COVID-19, it’s been a painful lesson as they struggle to adapt – and quickly. Regardless of what’s happening in the world, virtual should now be a natural extension of any live event, one that provides an even greater opportunity for any organization to further its mission.
There are obvious and not-so-obvious benefits to offering a virtual option. Not only are more people able to access your content, but it also provides critical access to… more
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May 19, 2020
In normal times, you probably exhibited at 10-15 trade shows a year. Once you got back to the office after three days of shaking hands and exchanging business cards, you most likely shoved everything into storage and got back to the business challenges of the day. But these are not normal times.
Now that the halls are clear and your office is quiet, you have ample time to pull everything (and I mean everything) out of that designated trade show area. Not only will you feel more organized when it’s over, but you and your team will also know what you have on hand and be able to put together a… more
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May 15, 2020
With the majority of live trade shows put on ice until later this year or 2021, now is the time for many exhibiting companies to re-evaluate their show calendars and weed out those events that are no longer working for their sales and marketing goals. But how do you know whether to stay or go? Read on to learn the telltale signs of when it’s time to move on to new opportunities.
You know the feeling when you just went to a trade show and it was not as successful as you know it should be? Whether you did a formal ROI analysis or just noticed that the lead quality (or quantity) was not worth… more
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May 12, 2020
Anyone who was invested in the trade show business BC (before COVID-19) is naturally trying to predict the PC marketplace and what safe will look and feel like. From organizers and exhibitors to attendees and the local communities that host them, everyone wants a date on the calendar for when we can walk the aisles again without feeling careless or dangerous.
Since being laid off in mid-March from my job as head of marketing and communications for one of the largest international trade show organizers in the U.S., two things have become clear: 1) that date on the calendar may be a long way… more
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May 06, 2020
Given that a full 90 percent of workers favor hands-on, experiential learning, it’s no surprise education is one of the top reasons people attend face-to-face corporate events.
But what happens when those events go virtual? How can organizers ensure attendees still achieve their learning objectives, even without the face-to-face experience?
Start by communicating expectations so audiences know what to expect to learn and how they can expect to learn it. Then, follow the principles below to ensure they get what they came for.
Design the Learning Experience
Map the attendee journey for a… more
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May 05, 2020
It’s no secret that video marketing is hot right now. I see a lot of creative videos on social media on a daily basis and I don’t see this trend slowing down. But do you worry about video quality or which type of camera your department should invest in? There are a lot of different kinds out there.
Here are seven different types of cameras and how to best use them.
DSLR (or Digital Single-Lens Reflex) cameras: a DSLR camera has a mirror that reflects the light coming from the lens up into an optical viewfinder, by way of either a prism or a series of additional mirrors. This is how you can… more
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Apr 29, 2020
Over the past six to eight weeks, we have seen clients face many changes and tough choices, often with limited resources and no blueprint from which to work. As we have provided counsel and recommended the necessary pivots for our clients’ event marketing campaigns, one thing has become clear: There’s no best practice or silver bullet to get us through this period.
What we have learned with each decision, campaign change or strategy adjustment is that the decisions we make are the right ones for right now. There is no guiding document to get us to June, no “roadmap for success” for the next… more
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Apr 27, 2020
There are so many things that flash through your brain when you realize that world events will overtake the event that you have planned for months if not years.
With our NACS State of the Industry Summit, scheduled to attract 600 registrants to Chicago in early April, our initial thought was, how can we pivot and still deliver value to our attendees?
Luckily, NACS had been through this drill before. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans six weeks before our NACS Show was to bring 22,000 attendees to the city. At that time, we asked three central questions:
Can we move the show to… more
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Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is renowned for its exceptional service and diverse venue options across Las Vegas, Detroit, Springfield, National Harbor, Biloxi, and Atlantic City, providing flexible spaces for meetings of any size. Beyond these offerings, MGM Resorts distinguishes itself through a strong commitment to social responsibility and sustainability, making it an ideal choice for your next meeting.
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Protecting Natural Resources
MGM Resorts is home to industry-leading recycling, renewable electricity and water conservation programs. Some highlights include a cogeneration power plant at ARIA, producing ultra-efficient electricity; one of America’s largest contiguous rooftop solar arrays atop the convention center at Mandalay Bay; and onsite wells that provide water for the celebrated Fountains of Bellagio, avoiding reliance on precious Colorado River water. These efforts and many more save on natural resources while boosting attendee satisfaction.
Committed to Community
Always striving to be good neighbors, MGM Resorts works to avoid food waste and combat food insecurity with the Feeding Forward program. In partnership with local food banks, they safely divert unserved food to food insecure members of the community. Since 2016, over 5 million meals have been provided, highlighting MGM Resorts' commitment to minimizing food waste and addressing community needs.
MGM Resorts supports clients in their responsible-meetings efforts, not only with efficient venues but also waste-reducing décor and signage; sustainable food and beverage options; and outreach to help planners communicate sustainability efforts to attendees. What’s more, they offer a Mindful Meetings series that puts attendee wellness first—through fitness and mindfulness activities, and in give-back events with local charity organizations.
Fostering Diversity & Inclusion
To MGM Resorts, a diverse and talented workforce is essential to success. By cultivating innovative strategies that consider multiple perspectives and viewpoints, the company creates an inclusive workplace culture that benefits its employees and community. MGM Resorts takes pride in being a welcoming home for veterans, individuals with disabilities, people from diverse backgrounds, LGBTQ+ community members, and more. This commitment to inclusion is reflected in the company's recruitment and hiring practices and its social responsibility initiatives. From the workplace to the community, MGM Resorts' commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion remains unwavering, and its efforts continue to create a more equitable and sustainable world for all.
MGM Resorts offers unparalleled service and venue options while standing out for its proactive approach to sustainability and community engagement. Choosing MGM Resorts for your next meeting means aligning with a company that values social responsibility, efficiency, and attendee satisfaction, ensuring a meaningful and impactful event experience.