The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) launched a Virtual Reality Companion app that helps transport trade show delegates and would-be visitors alike to popular attractions in the No. 1 city for top trade shows in the U.S.

Now, taking a tour of the Grand Canyon, riding in a gondola at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino or taking a zipline through the downtown streets is possible from anywhere in the world.

The 2016 World of Asphalt Show & Conference and AGG1 Academy & Expo broke a trio of records – attendance, number of exhibitors and attendees taking part in the education – when its recent show wrapped up March 22-24 in Nashville, Tenn.

Record registered attendance of more than 9,000 is 18 percent more than the record-setting 2015 shows and 38 percent growth, compared with 2013.

By Elizabeth Johnson

‘Branding’ is perhaps the most commonly used, but most commonly misunderstood, word in business. Reactions to brands, such as Coca-Cola or Apple, are immediate. An organization or product with a strong brand may compel people to instantly think of its logo, or tagline or jingle. A brand, by definition is all of those things and more - it’s everything we think about a particular organization or product.

After a trio of terrorist bombings rocked the Belgian capital, two at Brussels’ airport and another at a metro station, the city’s main exhibition venue – Brussels Expo – announced several shows scheduled in the building were canceled.

A note on the venue’s Web site stated: “Due to the exceptional circumstances in Brussels, the PRS Europe Show of today and tomorrow is canceled. The Autotechnica show will not open this Tuesday and Thursday. INFOSECURITY and FOROM FOR THE FUTURE also are canceled. Thank you for your understanding.

The Electronic Software Association’s E3 Expo won’t have some key gaming companies on the showfloor – such as EA and Activision – when the show opens its doors in June at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The game publishers, instead, are opting for smaller, public-focused events.

Other companies, including Wargaming and Disney Interactive, also have decided to skip booths at the show this year, prompting rumors that maybe the show would change its rules and allow the public to attend.

One hundred and eighty-seven years hardly is a nice round number, so the Pennsylvania Flower Show (founded in 1829) is sharing the stage with the relative youngster National Park Service, celebrating its sweet 100.

“The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is honored that the Philadelphia Flower Show has been chosen by the National Park Service as a centennial event marking this amazing milestone,” said Sam Lemheney, PHS Chief of Shows & Events.

The 2016 Natural Products Expo West, with more than 3,000 exhibitors, 1.1 million gross square feet of exhibitor space and 77,000 -plus attendees on hand, filled every square inch of space when it was held March 9-13 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Looking to add more space with the convention center expansion underway, parking and traffic were difficult, but show organizers worked to keep attendees informed.  

Trade Show News Network has named Atlantic City, N.J., as the host city for the 7th Annual 2016 TSNN Awards: Celebrating Trade Show Excellence.

As the premiere awards program in the trade show industry celebrating fastest-growing shows, more than 50 show organizers will be feted during the three-day weekend event Oct. 28-30 (www.T-awards.com). 

Walking the aisles of the EXHIBITORLive! 2016 showfloor at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas last week can best be described as awe-inspiring, enlightening and engaging.

There are literally row after row of beautiful booths, with not only all the bells and whistles of the actual construction being shown off, but also some truly unique examples of experiential marketing to grab the attention of attendees walking by.

EXHIBITORLive! 2016 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas was all about educating and empowering the trade show and events industry. 

With more than 80 education sessions during the five-day conference, new formats to education and a record 52 graduates of CTSM this year, the importance of educating our industry was evident.

“We saw an 11-perfcent increase in educational participants, and a focus on communication and dialogue among peers,” said Randal Acker, president at Exhibitor Media Group, which runs the show.