The Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Association unveiled its new, streamlined Membership Structure. HCEA volunteers and staff reviewed membership needs with all categories and types of HCEA members, and introduced a simple membership structure that allows for more choice.

HCEA’s membership categories remain the same: Association, Corporation, and Industry Partner. Now, members will choose how many individuals from the organization will participate in HCEA and have access to benefits.

Houston will soon host one of the largest meetings of dental professionals in the nation in 2022.

The American Dental Association (ADA), Texas Dental Association (TDA) and Greater Houston Dental Society will combine respective conventions, collectively bringing more than 30,000 attendees to Houston's downtown campus, Avenida Houston.

In just a few days, 2017 will be history. The year brought event professionals a host of challenges around technological advancements, security, politics and travel, to name just a few. While next year will continue to prove difficult in many of those same areas, experts are pointing out that 2018 will be filled with opportunities for show organizers to rethink how events can capitalize on the human factor.

To wrap-up the year, here are a few predictions from five event industry veterans about what they foresee coming down the pike for events in 2018.

San Francisco-based data technology company, InsightXM, has unveiled a new insights package designed for event planners and marketers seeking powerful, easy-to-access data analytics.

The InsightXM Analytics Essentials package provides a fixed price and quick access-to-data analytics tool tailored to help planners better understand their event audiences, uncover hidden opportunities and identify weaknesses.

With the Essentials platform, users can:

Play Fair, a public celebration of play and entertainment for all ages, returned to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City for its second year with a larger showfloor, more exhibiting companies and a broader itinerary of immersive, family-friendly activities.

Held Nov. 4-5 and Hosted by The Toy Association in partnership with LeftField Media, the event provided a sold-out crowd of more than 20,000 children, parents, families and fans with a first glimpse of the toys, games and entertainment expected to be topping wishlists this holiday season.

The 13th edition of the China International Gold, Jewellery & Gem Fair - Shanghai (Shanghai Jewellery Fair) drew 6,522 unique visitors, up 36 percent, compared with the show's 2016 edition.

The increase in visitor numbers proves that the fair – East China's leading jewellery event – is growing in the right direction and steadily expanding its international reach.

 Czarnowski, a full-service exhibit and event marketing company, recently opened an office in Shanghai. 

The Shanghai office is Czarnowski’s first in China and 24th worldwide.
 
“Our new Shanghai office will allow us to better serve our China-based customers as well as our United States and European customers as they increase their exhibiting activity in China,” said Bob DeFacci, global managing director for Czarnowski.

The 5th edition of ProWine China, International Trade Fair for Wines and Spirits, set new records and confirmed its status as the most international event for this industry in mainland China.

The trade fair attracted 14,219 trade visitors - an increase of 14.3 percent, compared with the 2016 staging. This year, about 700 exhibitors from 39 nations presented their products within 16 country pavilions and 4 regional pavilions.

UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has launched a new education program in China. The inaugural UFI-VMA Venue Management School kicked-off Nov. 20.

The three-day program was hosted by the Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre (SNIEC), a long-time UFI member and strong supporter of UFI’s activities in China. The program was oversubscribed with 34 students from 15 different venues across China.