Jul 12, 2021
Last month was a historic one for Dallas Market Center. The B2B trade center and wholesale marketplace for the home décor, gifts, lighting, housewares, holiday/floral, apparel and accessories markets experienced its biggest summer month of buyer traffic in more than ten years, with tens of thousands of buyers from across the U.S. converging upon the Apparel & Accessories Market, Total Home & Gift Market, KidsWorld and Lightovation events.
Spanning 5 million square feet of exhibit space, including hundreds of permanent showrooms and hundreds of booths in temporary expo space, the June… more
Jul 05, 2021
Las Vegas has been busy setting the stage for the next generation of meetings and conventions with a slew of new state-of-the-art venues. Now home to 14 million square feet of meeting, conference and exhibition space, the iconic desert destination offers planners more exciting options than ever, with more than 2 million square feet of new space and three resorts launched in the past 18 months alone.
“That additional space will allow Las Vegas to host more meetings and it will allow our current clients to grow their business,” said John Schreiber, vice president of business sales for the Las… more
Jun 22, 2021
Peter Eelman, vice president and CXO at AMT — The Association For Manufacturing Technology, strode up to the stage at Arie Crown Theater at McCormick Place. “We are coming back,” he said. “Let that soak in for a moment.”
While he was specifically referring to the International Manufacturing Technology Show powered by AMT, occurring Sept. 12-17, Eelman may as well have been speaking for Chicago’s trade show industry.
Shut for 14 months due to COVID, McCormick Place officials and several returning organizers gathered in May to celebrate the return of business. The event was also a showcase of… more
Jun 03, 2021
Experience Kissimmee Senior Director of Meeting Sales and Services Michelle Moore couldn’t believe her ears at a recent meeting at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center. In a pre-event meeting, the key players were discussing dine-arounds, branding activations and entertainment options.
“It was wonderful,” Moore said. “For the first time in over 14 months, we actually talked about non-health and safety stuff.”
Of course, COVID-19 was the elephant in the room. But significant vaccination progress and relaxed CDC guidelines have shifted the conversation from when, and not if,… more
May 25, 2021
Event and hospitality companies are gearing up for a digital financial future by accepting cryptocurrency as a customer payment option.
Defined as “a digital currency that can be used to buy goods and services, but uses an online ledger with strong cryptography to secure online transactions,” cryptocurrency is more than a speculative investment trend. Mainstream adoption is already here, with major companies including PayPal, Visa and Mastercard jumping on the crypto train.
As hotels, resorts and event-related companies continually seek out opportunities to better serve the needs of their… more
May 21, 2021
Start spreading the news: Destinations are open for business. But rather than screaming to the hills, CVBs and destination management companies are taking a more selective approach to how they roll out the red carpet. Targeted messaging is the theme uniting an array of approaches taken to attract groups to town. Here are some highlights:
Explore St. Louis
A new ad campaign from Explore St. Louis is arguably more star-studded than the recent Academy Awards ceremony. Among the celebrities pitching the Arch city to incoming guests are John Goodman, Jenna Fischer, Andy Cohen, Ozzie Smith and… more
May 19, 2021
Call it the light at the end of the Ted Williams tunnel. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Kim Janey announced that pandemic restrictions will be lifted as of May 29. The move paves the way for the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority to welcome groups back at full capacity by next week.
In reality, the calendars for top-notch venues including Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, The Lawn On D, Powered by Citizens Bank, the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center and the MassMutual Center in Springfield reveal a slow trickle before the dam bursts this… more
May 11, 2021
Last month, Caesars Palace in Las Vegas welcomed the live return of its longest-running conference, the Trauma & Critical Care & Acute Care Surgery conference, aka the Mattox/Vegas TCC&ACS. Held April 12-14 inside the resort’s 50,000 square-foot Octavius Ballroom, the event not only marked its 54th year at the storied Strip resort, but also the first large-scale meeting to be held at the property since the onset of the pandemic.
Known as the largest trauma postgraduate course in the U.S., the two and one-half day conference is designed for medical professionals working in Level I… more
May 04, 2021
Detroit’s TCF Center has landed a new general manager. On April 19, Larry Alexander, board chairman of the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority announced that Karen Totaro has been tapped by ASM Global to lead the convention center. In her new role, Totaro will be responsible for the overall management, promotion and operation of the facility, leading its team of professionals, building on key industry partnerships in the community and supporting the overall mission of the TCF Center and the DRCFA.
“Karen Totaro is the right person at the right time to take the TCF Center back to… more
Apr 27, 2021
Caesars Entertainment is going all-in on Atlantic City. The hospitality giant recently unveiled a $400 million master plan investment in its Caesars, Harrah’s Resort and Tropicana Atlantic City casino-resort properties. Already underway, the plans include:
Remodeled guest room towers;
Fresh interior design elements;
Casino gaming floor enhancements;
New dining concepts and amenities and more additions over the next three years.
According to Caesars officials, revitalizing the company’s flagship casino-hotel on the famed Atlantic City Boardwalk, Caesars Atlantic City, will be a… 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.