News
Sep 22, 2022
Right off the bat (pun intended), I knew Cleo Battle was someone who makes the most of an experience.
No more than a couple of minutes into our conversation, the discussion turned to how much he treasures his personalized Louisville Slugger in purple—the color of his hometown baseball team, the Colorado Rockies—which he’s had since moving to Louisville almost 10 years ago, and how he enjoys his fine Kentucky bourbon on occasion—with a nice cigar and a great Sinatra album.
Indeed, Battle is an aficionado and a connoisseur of the destination he has represented for nearly a decade, first as… more
Sep 21, 2022
Leading technology solutions provider Personify has purchased GTR Event Technology, a long-established industry player, to offer a complete event management platform for organizers of trade shows, conferences, corporate meetings and other gatherings.
GTR has developed powerful and easy-to-use software, along with expert services for badge printing, online registration, lead retrieval and attendance tracking, all of which are now available through Personify’s Community Experience Platform.
“The addition further enables our mission of helping our clients to manage and grow their… more
Sep 20, 2022
On Sept. 14, a cross-industry task force of event industry stakeholders released a collaborative research report that identifies key focus areas to support the B2B trade show industry’s transition to a more sustainable and low-carbon economy.
The result of a two-year independent research program, the report, “Finding the Future, Together: Towards a More Sustainable B2B Trade Show Industry in the U.S. and Canada,” details the industry’s most significant environmental impacts and creates a data and knowledge foundation for decision-making, knowledge-sharing and action. It also showcases steps… more
Sep 19, 2022
As interest in plant-based diets and environmentally conscious food choices continues to grow throughout the world, it makes sense that a trade show dedicated to this expanding market segment would find itself growing along with it. Case in point: Plant Based World Expo (PBW), North America’s only 100% plant-based B2B industry event designed exclusively for foodservice professionals, retailers, distributors, investors and manufacturers.
As the official trade show of the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), the U.S.’s sole trade association for plant-based food companies, the annual event… more
Sep 15, 2022
During its annual Predict Conference, currently being held at MGM National Harbor outside Washington, D.C., the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) unveiled the second quarter results of its 2022 Index, showing significant improvement of the U.S. B2B exhibition industry compared to the previous nine quarters.
According to the results, cancellation rates for physical in-person events fell to just 2% in Q2 2022 compared to 66.2% in Q2 2021 and 100% in Q2 2020. Of all shows originally scheduled to be held in Q2 2022, 0.6% were postponed, 1.9% were cancelled and 97.5% were completed… more
Sep 15, 2022
The city of Atlanta, Ga., is more than an urban oasis exuding Southern hospitality. Rich in history and culture, this diverse and vibrant destination boasts more than 136 square miles of unique and colorful neighborhoods, vast green spaces and an interesting array of amenities and attractions, including a vibrant arts, entertainment and culinary scene, and an enduring civil rights legacy. For all these reasons and more, it’s no wonder that travel destination experts and global brands including Lonely Planet and National Geographic have highlighted Atlanta in their Best of Travel lists for… more
Sep 14, 2022
As the trade show industry continues full speed ahead into the post-pandemic era, exhibiting companies are making their return to the showfloor, resuming their live marketing programs in an effort to reestablish a brand presence among their competitors. But while many exhibitors may wish to freshen their showfloor image with new or improved trade show booths, intense budget constraints are forcing companies to get uber-creative. One person who knows this well is trade show industry veteran Anthony Floreano, CEO of Skyline Exhibits, who for the past year has led the company through its post-… more
Sep 13, 2022
With industry professionals bringing a heightened focus to the ROI of their events, particularly due to soaring event costs and structural changes to events as a result of the pandemic, Event Leadership Institute (ELI) launched the industry’s first course specifically centered on measuring, interpreting and communicating an event’s performance to stakeholders.
The online Event Measurement & Analytics Certificate will teach participants a variety of data-driven ways to measure an event’s success for different stakeholders, including attendees, hosts, exhibitors and sponsors. More… more
Sep 12, 2022
As summer turns to fall, event-related companies, CVBs and venues are continuing to build their teams, appoint new leaders and reward hard-working staff to elevated roles. Check them out!
Spiro
Spiro, the brand experience agency within the GES Collective, appointed David Kuznick as its global chief financial officer, effective immediately. As an integral part of Spiro’s executive leadership and finance teams, Kuznick will aid the company’s rapid disruption response and strong future growth trajectory.
Before joining Spiro, Kuznick held executive roles at MC2 as COO and at FoodPrep… more
Sep 09, 2022
Personify, a leading technology solutions provider for associations, nonprofits and event professionals, launched its first-ever A2Z Event Professionals Awards. The new awards program was established to celebrate the agility, creativity and innovation in today’s events and associations industries.
“So many awards are focused on revenue or square footage,” said Rich Vallaster, director of event marketing at Personify. “While those are critical components to an event’s success, recognizing the ideas of all sizes and the people and teams who have had a huge impact in the industry is why we… more
Partner Voices
HERE, hosting responsible meetings and caring for our communities are top priorities. Through its 'Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet' philosophy, MGM Resorts commits to creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make an impact in the lives of employees, guests, and the communities in which it operates.
Water Stewardship Efforts
MGM Resorts understands the importance of using water efficiently, especially in the desert destination of Las Vegas. Conserving water has always been part of the mission, but MGM Resorts has expanded its ambition into water stewardship.
In 2022, MGM Resorts President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle signed the CEO Water Mandate—a UN Global Compact initiative mobilizing business leaders to advance water stewardship. MGM Resorts International was the first gaming company to take this important step.
MGM Resorts replaced 200,000 square feet of real grass with drought-tolerant landscaping in Las Vegas.
MGM Resorts pledges to reduce water withdrawal intensity by 33% by 2025 and by 35% by 2030.
From 2007-2021, use of more than 5.6 billion gallons of water was avoided because of conservation efforts.
Caring for One Another
MGM Resorts’ Food Donations Program collects and preserves unserved food from conventions held at MGM Resorts properties, then safely donates to food insecure people in the community. Since the program’s launch in 2016, more than 3.7 million meals toward a 2025 goal of 5 million meals have been donated into the community. Donations include:
Unserved perishable prepared foods from events
Perishable unprepared food from MGM Resorts’ kitchens
Nonperishable food items from minibars and warehouses
The collaboration with Southern Nevada’s primary food bank, Three Square, has developed the infrastructure needed to safely collect, transport, and store food from MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas, reducing food waste while serving the community.
Fostering Diversity and 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 understands its responsibility to contribute to the social and economic progress of the communities in which it operates. HERE, we embrace humanity.