News
Apr 14, 2023
Thrust Carbon, a leading sustainability intelligence platform for the travel industry, recently unveiled Thrust Events, a powerful SaaS application designed to bring sustainability reporting with ease to large meeting and event (M&E) programs. The company’s organizations at launch represent more than 20,000 meetings per year.
"We are thrilled to launch Thrust Events, a groundbreaking technology platform that empowers event management agencies to reduce the carbon footprint of their events in an affordable and efficient manner," said Kit Aspen, co-founder of Thrust Carbon. "Unlike… more
Apr 14, 2023
Leading global tech media, data, research and marketing services provider International Data Group (IDG) has tapped Steve Corrick as senior vice president of events for International Data Corporation (IDC) and Foundry, a subsidiary of IDG.
A highly experienced international event leader who has run large event portfolios for UBM, CMP, Canon Communications and Andry Montgomery, Corrick most recently served as CEO Americas for Comexposium Group, France’s largest event organizer and owner of 170 B2C and B2B events across 11 market sectors, including food, agriculture, fashion, security, digital… more
Apr 13, 2023
As the world gets ready to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, Trade Show News Network (TSNN) caught up with the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) Executive Director Alexander Alles to find out the latest on Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE), an initiative to connect the events industry globally to the rapidly growing movement toward net zero by 2050. Alles was appointed to the newly created position in August 2022 to oversee the initiative as part of his duties.
When was the initiative launched?
In Nov. 2021, world leaders met in Glasgow, Scotland, at COP26 to present how their countries… more
Apr 12, 2023
Conference and trade show organizers often experience high volumes of routine questions from attendees in the months and days before their events, just as the organizer is the busiest with logistics and production work. With all the recent hype around generative AI tools like ChatGPT, it’s worth exploring how generative AI can help event organizers. Mindverse, the developers of MindOS, have created a generative AI tool that has big potential in the MICE industry.
This tool lets organizers create customized AI beings that can serve as chatbots and virtual assistants to answer commonly asked… more
Apr 11, 2023
The U.S. B2B exhibitions industry is continuing a robust rebound and demonstrating a continued improvement in Q4 2022 from the previous 11 quarters, according to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research’s (CEIR) 2022 Fourth Quarter Index results, which was released in late March.
Figure 1: B2B Exhibition Industry Cancellation Rate, %
The cancellation rate for in-person trade shows and events dropped to 1.3%, a substantial improvement compared to 97.9% in Q4 2020 and 14.8% in Q4 2021. This relatively low cancellation rate and the continued improvement in metrics outcomes for completed… more
Apr 10, 2023
Attendees and exhibitors are continuing to eagerly return to in-person trade shows, and the momentum of many B2B events and the industries they serve appear to be showing no sign of slowing down. Case in point: The ARA Show and Intersolar North America (ISNA) and Energy Storage North America (ESNA), which took place on opposite sides of the U.S. during the same week in Orlando, Fla., and Long Beach, Calif., respectively. Here’s a summary of these two successful events and what show organizers say was the secret to their robust attendance this year.
The ARA Show 2023
Upon the completion of… more
Apr 07, 2023
Leading global event company Freeman has entered into a strategic partnership with Zenus, a top provider of behavioral analytics for events and retail, to introduce a service that gives show organizers cutting-edge tools to measure attendee sentiment and engagement.
With Zenus’ ethical artificial intelligence (AI)-based behavior mapping, Freeman’s customers will receive aggregated and anonymized data around dwell time, sentiment and attendee activation. This metadata can be translated into actionable insights for exhibitor and sponsor ROI and future event planning.
Freeman chose Zenus as… more
Apr 06, 2023
Independent trade show executives, suppliers and industry media convened March 20-23 for the 2023 Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) CEO Summit at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas.
The four-day event offered content on a wide variety of topics, from a global economic forecast and an update on the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative to a study on DEI at the top 20 exhibition companies and research on next-gen event-goers.
As in years past, the attendee and speaker list featured a who’s who of industry leaders (see who attended in 2023 here). The Tarsus team, which publishes TSNN… more
Apr 05, 2023
After 11 years as president and CEO of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), David DuBois will retire effective Dec. 31, 2023.
DuBois will lead the association through its strategic growth initiatives in 2023 and continue to build on his legacy of advancing IAEE’s mission and member community.
“IAEE is a large and diverse global association that represents a vast ecosystem,” DuBois said. “I look forward to continuing to lead the exhibitions and events industry's trade association, and over the months ahead, my goal is for IAEE to continue delivering valuable… more
Apr 04, 2023
ASM Global is upping the ante with its sustainability goals via an ambitious plan to convert its global event venues portfolio into the most sustainable on Earth. The global leader in venue and event strategy and management is in the process of launching this strategy through its corporate social responsibility platform, ASM Global Acts, and in partnership with Honeycomb Strategies, a leading sustainability consulting firm specializing in the hospitality, sport and event industries.
Beginning this year, ASM Global will dedicate its full resources to achieving measurable results throughout… 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.