News
Oct 13, 2020
The home of the Packers will also be home to an expansive new event venue by January 2021. Resch Expo, a 125,000-square-foot, column-free exposition center, is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, adjacent Lambeau Field in the city’s entertainment district. Together with the existing Resch Center — which opened in 2002 and hosts events from concerts to trade shows — it will make up the new Resch Complex.
More than 700 hotel rooms and a dozen restaurants are within easy walking distance of the complex, complementing the city’s more than 4,500 total hotel rooms.
Design of the non-union Resch Expo… more
Oct 12, 2020
UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, and SISO, the Society for Independent Show Organizers, are calling on global policymakers and governments to follow a “testing before quarantine” approach for business-related travel and activities. This approach, both organizations say — which would include activating the potentials of rapid antigen COVID-19 tests — would enable businesses to move forward out of a severe global recession.
A statement signed by UFI President Mary Larkin (president of Diversified Communications, USA) and SISO Chair Doug Emslie (group chief executive,… more
Oct 09, 2020
A new commercial and architectural lighting trade show and conference will launch at Dallas Market Center in fall 2021. Designed for lighting designers and specifiers, interior designers and architects, the inaugural ArchLIGHT Summit will take place Sept. 21-22 at Dallas Trade Mart. This on-campus venue is already home to the permanent marketplace for the semi-annual Lightovation, the largest residential lighting show in North America, scheduled to run Jan. 7-10, 2021.
“Listening to thought leaders for design and the built environment, we recognized that there is an opportunity to fill a… more
Oct 08, 2020
From appointments to awards to new hires and promotions, this fall is keeping us on our toes for people announcements. Take a look:
Meetings Mean Business Coalition unanimously selected Michael Massari, chief sales officer for Caesars Entertainment, as its next co-chair in September. Effective January 2021, he will join Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company, in guiding the coalition and the meetings industry through the continued recovery from the pandemic.
PCMA has appointed Bruce MacMillan to the position of chief operating officer, effective Sept. 2. He was previously the… more
Oct 07, 2020
Originally scheduled for May 27 and postponed due to the pandemic, Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF) will now be held Nov. 18 as a retooled virtual experience.
To aid in transitioning the annual information-sharing and networking event for independent organizers and leaders of associations, Sam Lippman, ECEF producer and president of Lippman Connects, has partnered with Freeman. As part of the partnership, Freeman will provide the virtual event platform and serve as the exclusive gold sponsor.
“I have watched the Freeman team strengthen their capabilities in strategy,… more
Oct 07, 2020
NürnbergMesse Group, one of the world’s 15 largest trade fair companies based in Nürnberg, Germany, launched a new class last month as part of its ongoing annual training program for aspiring young exhibition industry professionals. Ten trainees and five students began training programs or dual-track study curricula in September at NürnbergMesse and the Ravensburg University of Cooperative Education in Ravensburg, respectively.
This year’s class includes eight event management assistant trainees, one marketing communications trainee and one digitalization management trainee, who are joined… more
Oct 06, 2020
Cincinnati-based Fern and its sister company, NexxtShow, have eliminated service cancellation charges as part of an ongoing series of changes to the traditional exhibition services provider model. This change helps to simplify the relationship between Fern/NexxtShow and the exhibitor while easing the exhibitor's decision to commit to show participation, according to Fern CEO Aaron Bludworth.
As of Oct. 1, any exhibitor order placed with Fern or NexxtShow through their OneView exhibitor portal will be refunded 100 percent, should the exhibitor cancel services prior to seven days before show… more
Oct 05, 2020
It goes without saying that the events industry could use more positive news right now. Here’s what several DMOs, venues and organizations are doing to help those who need it most during this challenging time.
Louisville Tourism Sells Face Masks to Benefit COVID Relief Charities
For the past few months, Louisville Tourism has sold Louisville-branded face masks and donated a portion of the proceeds to local COVID relief programs: One Louisville: COVID-19 Response Fund and the Fund for the Arts’ Black Artists Fund.
Available for $10 each, the masks come in three styles: two with the city’s… more
Oct 02, 2020
As the pandemic stretched into its seventh month here in the U.S. and even longer globally, the industry here continued to take small steps forward to slowly getting trade shows and events back on track.
Globally, shows opened successfully in several countries – including China, Malaysia and Germany, to name a few, while Germany also deemed trade shows ‘essential travel’.
Here in the U.S., a few more cities opened for events, albeit at limited capacity. At the same time, there were substantial efforts to implore the U.S. Congress to not leave town for elections until they passed the next… more
Oct 01, 2020
Seattle-based event marketing platform Banzai recently acquired High Attendance, a cloud-based virtual and hybrid event management software for enterprises.
Banzai plans to integrate its flagship marketing automation platform, Banzai Reach, with High Attendance’s platform to give Banzai customers — including Adobe, Chef Software, Dell, Pure Storage and other large enterprises — a seamless experience for growing and engaging their audiences.
“Currently the event marketing landscape is a mess,” said Brian Goldfarb, CMO at Chef Software. “It’s littered with half-baked solutions that were not… more
Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.
Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is on track to spend at least 15% of its biddable procurement with diverse-owned businesses by 2025, demonstrating that supplier diversity is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic business imperative.
Supplier diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business. A diverse supply chain allows access to a broader range of perspectives and experience, helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience, while strengthening communities. At MGM Resorts, engaging diverse suppliers ensures best-in-class experiences for guests and clients. Supplier diversity ensures a more resilient supply chain while supporting economic development in the communities in which it operates.
The impact of MGM Resorts' supplier diversity initiatives is significant. In 2023, these efforts supported over 3,500 jobs across more than 30 states, contributed over $214 million in income for diverse-owned businesses and generated more than $62 million in tax revenue. The story extends beyond the numbers – it reflects the tangible benefits brought to small and diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment in their communities.
MGM Resorts also supports the development and business skills of diverse-owned businesses through investment, mentorship and education. Through the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program, the company identifies, mentors and develops diverse-owned businesses to fill its future pipeline, while providing businesses with tools and resources to empower and uplift. Since 2017, the program has successfully graduated 105 diverse-owned businesses and is on track to achieve its goal of 150 graduates by 2025.
MGM Resorts’ commitment to supplier diversity not only enhances its business operations but also plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and fostering economic development. This approach reinforces the idea that diversity is a powerful driver of innovation and resilience, benefiting both the company and the wider community.