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May 19, 2022, is Global Accessibility Awareness Day, so we sat down with meetings tech titan Cvent to talk with their new senior product manager for accessibility, Stephen Cutchins, and senior director of product management, Carl Aldrich, to discuss the strides and challenges the meetings and events industry has experience in ensuring everyone is i…

Meetings Today catches up on the latest events and development news in Milwaukee with Leslie Johnson, vice president of sales and services for VISIT Milwaukee. We discuss the highly anticipated Wisconsin Center expansion, what the city's various entertainment districts can offer groups, and new hotel openings on the horizon. *Produced in collaborat…

Garrett Ronan, U.S. chief operations officer for etc.venues, talks about post-pandemic meetings and conference center trends and the company's potential expansion plans in the U.S. after opening two New York City venues shortly before COVID-19 roiled the industry.โดย Meetings Today

What does it take to put on an event like the Super Bowl? Darren Green, Chief Sales Officer for LA Tourism, joins Meetings Today to share how his team worked with L.A. hospitality partners and the NFL to host Super Bowl LVI and its surrounding events. We also discuss new developments in L.A. that meeting planners should know about and big events co…

Meetings industry veteran Christine “Shimo” Shimasaki, of Simpleview's 2Synergize, is privy to booking pace data from hundreds of DMOs. Here's her well-informed take on where the meetings industry is regarding the return to in-person events, and how data-driven strategic decisions are the key to its future.…

Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson sat down with PCMA leader Sherrif Karamat and DI leader Don Welsh to discuss the organization's upcoming Business Events Industry Week, current in-person meetings trends and the associations' stance on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.โดย Meetings Today

It’s no secret that the hospitality industry faces a challenge attracting the next generation of talent. In fact, it’s a major topic of discussion among its leaders. In this Meetings Today Podcast, recorded at PCMA’s Convening Leaders, EIC CEO Amy Calvert tackles the subject of the hospitality industry talent pipeline, as well as a major revamp of …

Tyler Davidson talks to James Rees, president of Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), about one of the events industry's most pressing issues: sustainability. At PCMA Convening Leaders 2022, Rees details the Net-Zero Carbon Events Pledge initiative, key challenges surrounding business travel and carbon footprints, and the way forward for greener…

Tyler Davidson checks in with Michele Polci, citywide director of catering sales, Las Vegas, for Caesars Entertainment at PCMA Convening Leaders about how the meetings and conventions giant navigated the pandemic, critical questions planners should ask about service levels and the supply chain, and the latest cuisine trends for large gatherings.…

JUNO’s Josh Hotsenpiller sits down with Tyler Davidson to discuss the events platform’s big partnership with PCMA, and how everything we do comes down to one important concept: human connection.โดย Meetings Today

Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson discussed Visit Corpus Christi's meetings offer in which the destination will host an opening or closing reception in one of the destination's many interesting offsite venues. The CVB's Nicole Olivares details the Coast Your Own Way meetings offer and what the Gulf Coast destination offers for meetings and events.…

Meetings Today's Sarah Kloepple sits down with Stephanie Glanzer, senior vice president and chief sales officer for MGM Resorts International, to discuss how the company has come through the pandemic better, with new safety protocols, the launch of new meetings campaign "Here" and how planners can make a difference through their events at MGM. This…

Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson sat down with Mike Wainwright and Don Pfeffer at IMEX America 2021 to get key insights from the global hotel giant's Convention & Resort Network (CRN) regarding the recovery of the meetings industry. CRN's Mike Wainwright, vice president of sales, Gaylord Hotels and Marriott Convention & Resort Network, and Robert Pf…

In this podcast, recorded live from the IMEX America 2021 show floor in Las Vegas, Tyler Davidson speaks with with Gerardo Tejado, general manager for Meetings & Events, American Express Meetings & Events, and Amanda Chamov, marketing manager, about the compelling reveal of the global business travel giant's major annual survey, 2022 Global Meeting…

Since launching virtual meetings company MeetingPlay in 2011, former Marriott global e-commerce expert Joe Schwinger has seen virtual meetings grow from their infancy to the transformative pandemic period in which the technology became ubiquitous. What's next for virtual and hybrid meetings, and how are global corporate giants implementing them in …

Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson sits down with Steve Jones, a music industry veteran, speaker and author of Brand Like a Rock Star and Start You Up for this Meetings Today Podcast episode. From the Foo Fighters and Bob Marley to Kiss, Jimmy Buffett, AC/DC and Aerosmith, see how key learnings from these rock legends can translate to your brand and i…

Following up on an earlier podcast in which the conversation turned to what future skills meeting and event planners will need, Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson talked with meetings technology giant Cvent’s Paulina Curto, senior manager, meetings and events, and Rachel Andrews, senior director of global meetings and events, to expand on the topic. F…

Greater Ontario—which includes the cities of Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga—is a Southern California meetings and conventions gem you should know about. Hear why in this podcast interview with Michael Krouse, president and CEO of Greater Ontario CVB. *Created in partnership with Greater Ontario CVBโดย Meetings Today

Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson talked with Cvent’s Patrick Smith and Rachel Andrews about the company’s successful CONNECT hybrid event and the future skills meeting and event planners will need to master to stay relevant in a dynamic profession.โดย Meetings Today

Jaki Baskow, CEO and founder of Las Vegas Speakers Bureau and Baskow Talent is a Las Vegas entertainment and speaker booking legend, having plied her trade in the Entertainment Capital of the World for more than 40 years. Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson checked in with Baskow in mid-July to get a take on how she sees the in-person meetings and even…

Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson sits down with Hilton Worldwide Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales Americas Frank Passanante about some big news from the iconic hotel company, including an innovative new group room block booking engine for meeting planners and the massive new Virgin Hotels Las Vegas development and Resorts World.…

Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson talked with Julie Brackenbury, president of Event Service Professionals Association and director of destination services for Visit Raleigh, about what role event services will play as we reboot the meetings industry.โดย Meetings Today

In this Meetings Today Podcast recorded in March, Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson talks with Julius Solaris, the founder of EventMB who just joined Swapcard as its head of engagement. Always a leading meetings and events industry thinker, Solaris shares his take on the confusing “new normal” we’re all in, as well as recent findings from a meeting p…

Featured guest: Tammy Dickerson, CMP, President & Lead Planner, tbg Events How can we lead with excellence during times of great uncertainty and change? Tenacious powerhouse entrepreneur Tammy Dickerson, President & Lead Planner at tbg Events, discusses how being your own biggest cheerleader, putting people first, and taking care of yourself are al…

Danielle LeBreck and Jill Vance, director of sales for The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, discuss how to weave wellness into meeting agendas. Listen for more. *Created in partnership with The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibelโดย Meetings Today

ESPA’s Paola Bowman, destination services manager for the Arlington CVB, and Jamie Huckleberry, director, event services for Pittsburgh’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center, talk with Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson about how the convention services manager association’s COVID-19 Services Recovery Roadmap can apply to meeting planners, and of the …

Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson talks with Cvent Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Patrick Smith about the meetings tech giant’s new hybrid meeting solution, Virtual Attendee Hub, how the company has fared during the pandemic, and what he and others at Cvent see as positive signs for an industry recovery from the COVID calamity. Lis…

When the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us, companies will be eager to reward their employees with unforgettable incentive programs. Australia has always fit the bill for wow-worthy trips—and there’s plenty more incredible experiences waiting for North American-based attendees, from dinners under the stars at Uluru to life-changing expeditions over th…

In this Meetings Today Podcast, David Meerman Scott and Michelle Manafy, co-authors of Standout Virtual Events: How to Create an Experience That Your Audience Will Love, explain the basics of virtual platforms and which ones may be the best fit for you.โดย Meetings Today

Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson chats with Maribel Denner, director of sales marketing for the JW Marriott Anaheim Resort, and Junior Tauvaa, chief sales officer for Visit Anaheim, about the impressive new JW and how it will add a tech-forward luxury hotel offering to a city that is seeing its meetings and conventions product grow by leaps and boun…

Learn about contact tracing at meetings and events and how planners can limit the impact of COVID-19 on their program. And what do you do if someone tests positive? Listen for more.โดย Meetings Today

In this Meetings Today podcast, Danielle LeBreck sits down with Caesars Entertainment and ConferenceDirect, who collaborated together to design ConferenceDirect's annual partner meeting at the new CAESARS FORUM in Las Vegas. Listen to learn about their hybrid approach, how F&B was modified and more.โดย Meetings Today

The new Grand Hyatt Nashville is adding a luxury hotel with ample meeting space to Music City, which has been on a torrid development pace over the past few years. Read more.โดย Meetings Today

Meetings Today catches up with Kylie Brajak of Australia’s Crystalbrook Collection to learn more about new properties in Cairns, incentive options in Queensland and more in this podcast. *This podcast was created in partnership with Business Events Australia. Note: Read Australia Next, the newly launched magazine for North American planners from Bu…

Kevin Dana of CORT Events highlights key design trends and how the pandemic is changing meeting space designs for live meetings. Learn more.โดย Meetings Today

Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin massively revamped its operating procedures to host the Major League Soccer bubble, from accommodations and equipment to F&B. Here’s how three key staff members handled it. Read more.โดย Meetings Today

Michael Dominguez, CEO of ALHI (Associated Luxury Hotels International), brought meeting planners to the Omni Dallas Hotel for a one-day showcase of what their events may look like after the industry awakens from its COVID-19 slumber.โดย Meetings Today

Top Cvent execs Brian Ludwig and David Quattrone talk with Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson about how the meetings tech giant pivoted to virtual for its big annual conference and is expecting 40,000 attendees. Also, discover their predictions about the direction of the meetings industry.โดย Meetings Today

Buffets? Gone. And don’t even think about a donut wall! The meetings F&B environment has been disrupted flatter than a collapsed souffle, but that doesn’t mean you need to let the air out of your culinary programs. Tracy Stuckrath, owner of thrive! meetings & events, is the foremost expert on food allergies in the meetings and conventions environme…

Furloughs. Layoffs. An economy-crippling pandemic with seemingly no end in sight. Who could’ve predicted the tumult that would enter our lives in 2020? In troubling times such as these, maintaining one’s sanity can often seem like the most important job of all. Mindfulness speaker, trainer and author Lee Papa, a leading wellness expert on the meeti…

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, legal issues in the meetings industry primarily centered around cancellation, attrition and what became the moving target of force majeure. Now, with face-to-face meetings taking baby steps to resuming, meeting and event planners need to cover their organizations and ensure the safety of attendees by inclu…

Business development expert and speaker Scott Steinberg shares some positive survey results regarding planner optimism about a face-to-face meetings revival by the end of 2020, with a few caveats thrown in, of course. Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson interviewed Steinberg about some of the statistics he’s crunched to come to his conclusions, and als…

June 4, 2020, marks the day when Las Vegas awakens from its coronavirus shutdown slumber, with major casino-resorts reopening their doors at least for leisure travelers. Caesars Entertainment is joining the party by reopening its Caesars Palace and Flamingo properties, with more set to join them shortly. Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson caught up wi…

Outspoken Orlando hotel icon Harris Rosen believes constant guest and staff screening is critical to getting the meetings industry out of its deep depression. Hear what the firebrand independent hotelier told Vice President Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at a coronavirus hospitality industry roundtable at his Rosen Shingle Creek property. In t…

Meeting venues like the Javits Center have been pulled into service as field hospitals and other spaces for healthcare delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jim Henry, healthcare sector leader at CallisonRTKL, walks us through what it takes to transform hospitality and meeting spaces into sophisticated healthcare facilities.…

What will the meetings and events F&B experience look like after the COVID-19 shutdown ends? Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson sat down with Mary Cline, regional director, catering sales-East Coast for Wolfgang Puck Catering to get an idea of what the meetings cuisine scene will look like when we all start meeting face-to-face again.…

Meetings Today's Sarah Kloepple talks with Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), about the organization's Safe Stay guidelines, supporting hotel workers as these new healthy and safety protocols are put in place, and how technology will play a critical role in future live meetings.…

As we reach mid-May, Meetings Today's Sarah Kloepple checks in with Stephanie Glanzer, chief sales officer and vice president of MGM Resorts International, who delves into MGM's new Seven-Point Safety Plan for enhanced health and sanitation protocols at its properties. Glanzer also explains how meeting and event spaces specifically will look differ…

Thinking about launching virtual meetings as a standalone event option or augmentation to a live event? Amanda Ma, founder and CEO of Innovate Marketing Group, dove into the virtual events pool headfirst after COVID-19 hit, and offers her expert tips on how to pull them off, from pre- and post-event preparation and follow-up to technical issues to …

Led by exhibitions and event management giant Freeman, Go LIVE Together put together and advocacy group with hundreds of member organizations at breakneck speed. Being on the ground—literally—at meetings, conventions and exhibitions also gives the Dallas-based company a unique perspective on what the “new normal” will look like when we start gather…