News
Jan 22, 2020
At PCMA’s Convening Leaders Conference in San Francisco earlier this month, the Meetings Mean Business Coalition announced its 2020 plans to promote the value of face-to-face meetings, as well as to safeguard the industry from financial and reputational threats.
MMBC’s co-chairs — Trina Camacho-London, vice president of global group sales at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company — shared the below plans detailing the organization’s approach to advocacy, engagement and continued growth. These were the five main focus areas:
1. Leveraging the… more
Jan 21, 2020
Curious about the new Caesars Forum, Las Vegas’ major new conference center, opening this spring? You won’t have to travel to the Strip to see it—at least not right away. Caesars Entertainment will launch a country-wide tour called “All Roads Lead to Caesars Forum,” beginning next month.
Starting Feb. 11, the five-week tour will make stops in 14 U.S. cities and offer pop-up Caesars Forum brand experiences. The goal is to give meeting and event planners a glimpse into the 550,000-square-foot conference center, which officially opens March 18.
"This tour gives our team a monumental way to… more
Jan 20, 2020
Last month, Events Industry Council launched the EIC Knowledge Hub, a new online learning platform for event professionals designed to be a go-to source for the latest education, best practices, courses and trends. Besides allowing users to access the organization’s extensive education archive, the new hub complements EIC’s other educational resources, including webinars, industry research and live events.
“The new hub allows current and those interested in becoming Certified Meeting Professionals the opportunity to easily access, track and advance their learning,” said Amy Calvert, CEO of… more
Jan 16, 2020
Are you using the latest marketing tactics to promote your event? Are you sure? Is print finally, officially dead or still practical? What about email? Where’s the line between too much or too little communication? Successful event marketing can be a rapidly moving target, so let’s kick off the new year (and a new decade!) by discussing the latest opportunities to reach and connect with your audiences.
Join us on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 1 p.m. ET, when Elizabeth Johnson, principal of glee Content Marketing, will lead a discussion about the latest event marketing tools, strategies and more by… more
Jan 15, 2020
MGM Growth Properties and Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust today announced that MGP and BREIT have entered into a definitive agreement to form a new joint venture to acquire the Las Vegas real estate assets of the MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay for $4.6 billion. In addition, BREIT will purchase $150 million in MGP Class A shares. MGP will own 50.1% of the joint venture, and BREIT will own 49.9%.
At closing, MGM Resorts International will enter into a long-term triple net master lease for both properties and provide a full corporate guarantee of rent payments. MGM Resorts will continue to… more
Jan 15, 2020
The Expo Group, an Irving, Texas-based exhibitions and events partner that invests in growth, today acquired Orlando-based Allied Convention Service, commonly known as Brede/Allied. The move gives The Expo Group an expanded footprint in the Southeast and deeper operations to better serve its clients, according to company officials.
“This acquisition expands The Expo Group’s service capabilities in an important region and brings together the top personnel in this business,” said Randy Pekowski, president and chief operating officer for the company. “This is an extenuation of our long-term… more
Jan 15, 2020
Bendable laptop screens, 5G connectivity and a Mercedes straight out of Avatar were only some of the highlights at CES 2020 that took place Jan. 7-10 in Las Vegas.
The 54th annual show attracted around 180,000 attendees and showcased the latest in tech from 4,400 exhibitors across more than 2.9 million square feet at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Sands Expo and several Las Vegas hotels.
Already the largest show in the U.S. (and the top show on TSNN’s Top Trade Show List), CES will have room to grow next year with the addition of the new West Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
“The… more
Jan 14, 2020
Every successful corporate event is powered by suppliers. Once you’ve found the right agency and/or suppliers to work with you, it’s impossible to underestimate the importance of the partnerships — because that’s truly what these relationships are. Together, you can make your events greater.
Siemens Digital Industries Software (DI SW) has worked with InVision Communications since 2014 to ensure consistent, high-impact performance for their portfolio of 20 global events each year. We spoke with Lynn Randall, senior solutions strategist at InVision, about the relationship between the two… more
Jan 13, 2020
Will you take TSNN’s new Top 250 Trade Show Dashboard for a spin and provide us with valuable feedback in the process?
In a trade show industry first, TSNN, in partnership with data analytics company Bear Analytics, has teamed up to unveil a five-year dynamic dashboard of the TSNN Top 250 Trade Show List metrics. Analyzing more than 1,200 trade shows that represent 18 million attendees, 982,857 exhibiting companies and more than 336 million net square feet, this complementary dashboard allows users to search data on all of the listed shows.
Did we get it right? Try out the TSNN Top 250… more
Jan 13, 2020
The new year already appears to be a busy one for the trade show industry, with many new hires and promotion announcements this month. Check out the latest.
Venue News
Orange County Convention Center in Orlando will be led by Mark Tester, selected by Mayor Jerry L. Demings as the center’s new executive director. Tester was most recently director of Austin (Texas) Convention Center. Also at OCCC, Eric Blanc, Sr. is now assistant director of sales. He brings more than 25 years of experience in event management and convention center sales to his new role.
Spectra, the providers of venue… 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.