News
Mar 31, 2023
E3, the world’s premier celebration of interactive entertainment, will not take place in person or digitally this year, according to an announcement by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and ReedPop, the show’s organizer.
Last July, ESA partnered with ReedPop, a boutique division of RX, to spearhead the long-awaited return of E3 to the Los Angeles Convention Center in 2023. The event, which was scheduled to take place June 13-16, had not been held since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This was a difficult decision because of all the effort we and our partners put toward… more
Mar 31, 2023
Event Tech Live (ETL) has launched its first hosted buyer program for its shows in Las Vegas and London using the MustMeet platform by Grip, a leading AI-powered event tech provider built for meetings and matchmaking.
Grip’s MustMeet product, a powerful meeting scheduling system for event organizers, is being used by ETL to automatically schedule, manage and host a range of meetings for buyers and suppliers.
“Our hosted buyer initiative is about expediting the ETL experience for brands and businesses typically unable to commit a day to the show,” said Adam Parry, co-founder of ETL. “… more
Mar 30, 2023
The Kentucky General Assembly has passed legislation that includes a revision (from 6% to 0%) to the commonwealth’s sales tax on exhibit and sponsor space rental for face-to-face business events. Signed into law by Governor Andy Beshear on March 24, it states that business event organizers will be exempt from charging sales tax to their exhibitors and sponsors, essentially reversing a new 6% tax that went into effect on Jan. 1.
Some trade show organizers began collecting taxes from exhibitors and sponsors to be in compliance with the new law, while others informed exhibitors who signed new… more
Mar 29, 2023
Global B2B events, data and media platform Arc, which is backed by investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital, has tapped 25-year events industry veteran Mary Larkin as Americas CEO and Executive Committee member. In her new leadership role, she will be responsible for leading the company’s Americas businesses on its growth journey and will work alongside Americas Executive Vice President Tim Hart to further develop Arc’s North American business.
The announcement comes on the heels of two U.S.-based acquisitions that Arc has made within the past seven months that have added substantial… more
Mar 28, 2023
Across the trade show spectrum, event-related organizations are continuing to grow their teams and appoint new leadership as the industry forges ahead into Q2. Take a look!
CORT Events
Leading provider of furniture rental and transition services, CORT, recently expanded its executive sales and marketing team with the addition of Phil DeSarno in the newly created role of vice president of sales, marketing and merchandising. In his new role, DeSarno will be responsible for enhancing divisional relationships and alignment with CORT’s top clients to drive business development while boosting… more
Mar 27, 2023
The rise of e-commerce, the impact of the pandemic, the desire for hybrid events: Our industry continues to transform in radical ways. Our panelists decipher what these pivots mean and forecast what’s to come during our roundtable.
Ribbon’s CEO Vinit Patil was joined by a panel of industry insiders to analyze something on everyone’s mind: the future of market centers.
To bring in a European perspective, he was joined by Jimmy MacDonald, the Founder of the London Design Fair and Ribbon’s Global Fairs Liaison Director.
Jesse James, VP and Show Director at International Market Centers and… more
Mar 27, 2023
Despite a rainy week in Las Vegas, the triennial CONEXPO-CON/AGG & IFPE 2023 crushed attendance expectations, drawing 139,000 construction and fluid power professionals from 133 countries to the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) and Festival Grounds March 14-18. Besides attendance that marked a 6 percent increase compared to 2020, the show featured more than 2,400 exhibitors across more than 3 million square feet, an increase of 10.5 percent.
“For the construction industry, coming to this show is an extremely high priority,” said Dana Wuesthoff, vice president, exhibitions and event… more
Mar 24, 2023
RainFocus™, a next-generation event marketing platform, has released new data integration solutions in collaboration with Adobe to seamlessly connect real-time behavioral event data with Adobe's technologies for accelerated growth.
RainFocus recently became an Adobe Certified Platinum Partner and has been working with Adobe to elevate customer journeys for joint clients and optimize omnichannel marketing and sales programs.
The new capabilities easily ingest and map RainFocus data into the Adobe Experience Platform (AEP), enabling customers to manage and configure their… more
Mar 24, 2023
Even in the midst of a war — perhaps all the more so — companies look to exhibitions to help grow their businesses. After domestic demand dropped sharply when Russia invaded Ukraine in Feb. 2022, Ukrainian furniture companies were forced to look beyond their borders for sales.
That was the case for eight Ukrainian companies that exhibited in a pavilion at the Las Vegas Market, which was held Jan. 29-Feb. 2 at The Expo at World Market Center. Ukrainian owners, operators and reps made the arduous journey to display their goods at the biannual market in the hopes of creating connections… more
Mar 23, 2023
March, designated Women’s History Month, marks an opportune time to celebrate the female achievers of the events industry and beyond. We had the pleasure of checking in with six outstanding industry professionals to find out how their organizations support women, what they would advise for the next generation of female leaders and who they believe are women to watch.
Monique Ruff-Bell, Head of Events, TED Conferences
What are you most proud of in terms of the ways your organization supports women?
Internally at TED, many of our key departments and initiatives are led by women. We are… 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.