News

The American Thoracic Society selected Sherpa Solutions to deploy its indoor positioning system at the ATS 2017 International Conference, which is on tap May 19-24 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The system will be deployed on multiple floors in all public spaces, including meeting rooms, ballrooms, exhibit halls and poster sessions. “The Sherpa indoor positioning system is the only one of its kind. It’s like providing participants with their very own GPS, accurate to 6’, so they can accurately find their way within the venue. They can locate and meet with the people who… more
At the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention & Expo, held Feb. 8-11 in Orlando, attendees had the opportunity to try out something new - a2z, Inc.'s ChirpE Photo Booth. At the booth during the show,  not only did people have fun dressing up and sharing photos through social media, it also created a lot of buzz during and after the show. The ChirpE Photo Booth is an easy-to-use iPad-based Photo Booth with robust social media capabilities. The ChirpE Photo Booth enables event attendees to take their own picture, add a quote or testimonial and post it to their Facebook Page… more
Four show managers have been selected to receive The Expo Group Show Manager of the Year (SMOTY) award for excellence in serving their attendee and exhibitor communities. Since 2000, The Expo Group has honored unsung heroes committed innovation and service. “The Expo Group SMOTY awards program is one way we give back to the industry, and we are proud to honor people adopting new ideas and creating change,” said President and COO of The Expo Group Randy Pekowski. He added, “These honorees are not our clients, they are simply show managers doing great work that should be recognized.” 2017 The… more
In mid-April, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) concluded its Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Spring Edition) and International ICT Expo. The concurrent fairs ran from 13th to 16th April, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), attracting more than 3,500 exhibitors from 23 countries and regions. The Electronics Fair, is positioned as the largest spring electronics event in Asia, showcasing more than 2,900 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions, with new exhibitors from Singapore and Spain. New at this edition is a Tech Hall with four themed zones, Connected Home… more
According to an industry review released by the Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB), Penang hosted 1,251 events and generated RM 808 million (US$182 million) in 2016, the first full year of the Penang bureau’s operations. The PCEB supported 37 international and national business events, featuring an estimated 29,000 participants. The majority of international business events originated from Singapore and South Asia. In terms of the incentive segment, 82% were domestic groups, while 16% were groups from Singapore. The average number of participants per congress and corporate event… more
Organised by UBM India, the 9th edition of Hyderabad Jewellery, Pearl and Gem Fair (HJF 2016) was held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Novotel from 4th to 5th June. The event is a gem and jewellery trade show featuring more than 100 brands and this year’s trade visitor attendance is expected to be 5,000+ - representing growth of 20% compared with the last edition. Launched in 2008, HJF is a four-city jewellery show (Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi) organised throughout the year by UBM India. At the fair, manufacturers from Hyderabad and the surrounding regions… more
PackTech India and drink technology India, will be combined with Food Pex India next year. The three trade fairs, organized by Messe Düsseldorf  and Messe München, will be held from 15th to 17th December 2016 at the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre in Mumbai. The organizers are anticipating that these three trade fairs will draw over 250 exhibitors, up from 230 the 2015 figure, covering more than 14,000 sqm of exhibition space. The organizers are also expects the events to draw over 13,000 trade visitors – which would represent a more than 30% increase compared to last year’s… more
Plans have been announced for a new mega-venue in Qingdao in Shandong province on China’s east coast. The Qingdao World Expo Centre will be located in the Qingdao West Coast New Area and according to the press release, the developers have targeted early 2018 as the soft opening date.  The key investor in the overall project is the China Railway Group which plans to invest over US$8 billion. Current plans include just over 200,000 sqm of gross indoor exhibition area which will be able to accommodate more than 6,300 standard exhibition booths. The Qingdao World Expo Centre will also… more
The 27th edition of INDEX, India’s leading international interiors, architecture and design show, organised by UBM India, was held from 15th to 18th October, 2015 at the MMRDA Grounds. This year, the show featured over 300 exhibitors and 500 brands. In addition, more than 20,000 visitors, including international participants from Turkey, UK, China, Italy, Malaysia, Spain to name a few - attended the four-day event. UBM reported that leading architects and designers, international and domestic buyer delegations and builders & developers from across the country attended the show.
Global Sources’ fall edition of its Gifts & Home show  opened on 18th October, 2015 and concluded on the 21st. The exhibition was held at Hong Kong’s AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE). It featured over 3,200 booths of gifts, premiums and home products. This year’s theme was focused on moving towards smart, creative and eco-friendly products that are in-demand from a wide variety of consumer markets. The Gifts & Home show was co-located with the Global Sources Mobile Electronics show at AWE. The mobile electronics event followed the first phase of Global Sources’ Electronics which was held… more
Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”  These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city. Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.