Meetings
Northstar Travel Group launching Meetings Show for the Asia-Pacific region
Northstar Travel Group is launching a new trade show for the Asia-Pacific meetings industry. The Meetings Show Asia Pacific will take place April 17-18, 2024 at Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, welcoming global exhibitors and an audience...
Puerto Rico’s meetings industry ends year with record numbers
Discover Puerto Rico, the Island's Destination Marketing Organization, is closing fiscal year of 2022-2023 with record numbers in the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) sector driven by a diverse set of events hosted on the island. Puerto Rico...
AHLA Report: Women gaining more roles in hospitality leadership
Women are increasingly becoming a part of hospitality leadership, according to a new report by the AHLA Foundation. The report found that women now hold one in four of all chief-level positions at hotel companies, although it is mostly in human resources and...
Destination Canada launches platform to bring business events to the country
Destination Canada has announced the launch of the Canadian Visionaries Network (CVN) to encourage business events planners to consider Canada for their next conference or other event. "The CVN is composed of Canada's network of academic, industry, and association...
JW Marriott’s new Clearwater Beach resort ready for your next event
JW Marriott has opened its newest property in Clearwater Beach, Florida. The JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa is located on what has been called "America's Best Beach." The property is home to 20,000 sq. feet of event and meeting space. “We are excited to...
Choice Hotels rolls out meeting planner platform for instant bookings
Groups360 and Choice Hotels International are rolling out their GroupSync™ Instant Booking across Choice's global portfolio in 2023. The platform will allow meeting and event organizers to shop and book online group guest rooms at Choice Hotel properties within...
Hyatt launches Event Experience Guides for meeting planners
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has launched a new tool to help event planners plan their next event at a Hyatt property. Together by Hyatt is a series of Event Experience Guides, which will provide event planners with "an interactive, easy-to-navigate online platform with...
Omni Hotels adds instant booking for groups and meeting planners
Omni Hotels & Resorts, along with Groups 360, have announced a new instant booking experience for groups and meeting spaces. GroupSync is Group360's proprietary online booking marketplace, and is available now at the Omni Frisco Hotel in Frisco, Texas, and will...
Survey: Majority of business travelers are ready to return to travel
Business travel was one of the segments affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the world got used to online work, there were concerns that it would never return — at least not to the same level it was in 2019. But a new study found good news when it comes to the return...
Feature: Visit Sun Valley on the future of tourism, welcoming new types of visitors
Sun Valley, Idaho came to fame in the 1940s and 1950s when Hollywood arrived, with films from stars like Abbott & Costello, Lucille Ball, Marilyn Monroe, and Glenn Miller. The area was also home to Ernest Hemingway (he wrote For Whom The Bell Tolls there, as well...
Marriott CEO sees new desire for travel
Marriott is seeing the desire for travel — both domestic and international. Marriott International CEO Tony Capuano spoke during their third quarter earnings call, and is optimistic for the future. “It's been wonderful to see so many people traveling again and to...
Connect Meetings partners with World Meetings Forum to expand reach
Connect Meetings has partnered with World Meetings Forum (WMF) to bring their events to Latin American, Central America, and Spanish-speaking Caribbean destination management companies (DMC). "The increased presence of such destinations will meet the increasing demand...
IHG & PCMA introduce digital event course, on-site COVID testing
IHG Hotels & Resorts has partnered with the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) to enhance their on-site and hybrid events, providing education for their employees by developing a Digital Event Strategist Introductory Certificate Course for...
CRVA opens expanded $127 million Charlotte Convention Center
The city of Charlotte's new Charlotte Convention Center expansion opened this week after nearly two years of construction. The $126.9 expansion was welcomed by the city of Charlotte and the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA). The new center broke ground in...
World Travel & Tourism Council’s 2022 Global Summit will take place in Manila
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), has announced their 21st Global Summit will be taking place in 2022. The event, which was last held earlier in 2021 in Cancun, Mexico, will take place from March 14-16, 2022 in Manila Philippines. The WTTC will also be...
Hawaii begins easing restrictions on events
Hawaii is looking to ease restrictions on gatherings, according to a news conference held by Hawaii Gov. David Ige and Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi on Friday, Oct. 8. In August, after a spike in COVID-19 infection rates, Mayor Blangiardi restricted large gatherings,...
New York becomes first state to launch COVID passport for travel & events
New York has become the first state to launch a COVID vaccine passport, for travel, events, and restaurants. Excelsior Pass is a "free, voluntary platform" developed in partnership with IBM, according to a statement from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office, "which utilizes...
What will the events industry look like in the future?
COVID-19 and 2020 has changed the way event planning is handled, but how much of that will continue on after the pandemic is over? Joanne Dennison, Boston University School of Hospitality Administration adjunct professor of hospitality meeting and event planning, and...
Nevada is allowing 50 percent capacity for large events, with approved plan
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak announced that, as of March 15, the allowable capacity for large gatherings of more than 250 people will increase to 50 percent capacity — up from 20 percent that was announced in February of 2021. The 50 percent limit outlined in...
Venues & event promoters may be eligible for new SBA grant
Although the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was meant to help businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic, a new grant program is specifically looking to help venue operators. The Small Business Administration (SBA) set aside $15 billion from the latest stimulus for...
Marriott implements new safety procedures to allow for events
Marriott International has announced a series of health protocol options to help event planners and guests into 2021. Those options include COVID-19 testing for groups and events, beginning in January 2021. Marriott recently announced their Connect with Confidence...
More hotels & venues receiving GBAC accreditation, helping them hold safe in-person events
A new certificate program is helping to rank event venues who are providing safe spaces during the COVID-19 crisis. The Global BioRisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a subset of ISSA, has been working with events venues to work through their cleanliness and safety...
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