News
Jan 28, 2020
In a first for the veterinary world, the North American Veterinary Community has launched VMX Virtual, an immersive and interactive 3D platform to transform the world’s largest veterinary conference and trade show into a year-round, on-demand marketplace for exhibitors and attendees.
Intended to be a complement to and extension of its annual trade show and conference, Veterinary Meeting & Expo, the virtual VMX was launched in December 2019, one month prior to the live event. Held Jan. 18-22 at Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, the 2020 edition of VMX attracted… more
Jan 27, 2020
Upping their games to attract more meeting and convention business in an ever-more-competitive market, major U.S. convention centers are busy with renovation and expansion projects. Here’s what to watch for.
Las Vegas Convention Center District Taking Shape
The 1.4 million-square-foot, $1.5 billion Las Vegas Convention Center District expansion and remodeling project is moving along on schedule. Last fall, the convention center announced it had completed more than 60 percent of the project’s Phase Two expansion, which broke ground in January 2017 and began construction in fall of 2018.… more
Jan 24, 2020
Bishop-McCann — a Kansas City, Missouri-based producer of meetings, incentives and events — has acquired the meetings and events division of ASE Group. Established in 1988, ASE Group (also headquartered in Kansas City) is a meetings and events agency focused on advancing the franchise industry.
This acquisition will allow Bishop-McCann to increase its position in the franchise industry and encourage increased diversification within the industry, according to company officials. Bishop-McCann has produced more than 30,000 programs in 28 countries.
“Bringing more innovation to our clients and… more
Jan 23, 2020
Leaders from industry companies including CadmiumCD, EXPOCAD, Freeman, GES, Map Your Show and Personify A2Z Events are coming together to create a solution to a major problem in the industry: jumbled exhibitor data. This effort of designing common exhibitor data standards is expected to help streamline operations as well as improve the customer experience.
In the past, events providers each had their own practices for managing exhibitor data — and because there wasn’t a standard for providing the data, it created pain points and was inefficient for all involved, explains Rick Britton, GES… more
Jan 22, 2020
Two leading B2C and B2B event producers are hitting the ground running in 2020 by acquiring events and forming new joint ventures.
Nationwide Expos Scoops Up Three Home and Garden Shows
Consumer event producer RJ Promotions has sold three of its home and outdoor shows to Nationwide Expos, one of the largest B2C home show producers in the U.S.
“Nationwide Expos is excited to take over where RJ Promotions left off with some new and innovative features to draw some great foot traffic in these markets,” said Jon Lewis, president of Nationwide Expos.
The three shows include:
Iowa Home Show… more
Jan 22, 2020
At PCMA’s Convening Leaders Conference in San Francisco earlier this month, the Meetings Mean Business Coalition announced its 2020 plans to promote the value of face-to-face meetings, as well as to safeguard the industry from financial and reputational threats.
MMBC’s co-chairs — Trina Camacho-London, vice president of global group sales at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company — shared the below plans detailing the organization’s approach to advocacy, engagement and continued growth. These were the five main focus areas:
1. Leveraging the… more
Jan 21, 2020
Curious about the new Caesars Forum, Las Vegas’ major new conference center, opening this spring? You won’t have to travel to the Strip to see it—at least not right away. Caesars Entertainment will launch a country-wide tour called “All Roads Lead to Caesars Forum,” beginning next month.
Starting Feb. 11, the five-week tour will make stops in 14 U.S. cities and offer pop-up Caesars Forum brand experiences. The goal is to give meeting and event planners a glimpse into the 550,000-square-foot conference center, which officially opens March 18.
"This tour gives our team a monumental way to… more
Jan 20, 2020
Last month, Events Industry Council launched the EIC Knowledge Hub, a new online learning platform for event professionals designed to be a go-to source for the latest education, best practices, courses and trends. Besides allowing users to access the organization’s extensive education archive, the new hub complements EIC’s other educational resources, including webinars, industry research and live events.
“The new hub allows current and those interested in becoming Certified Meeting Professionals the opportunity to easily access, track and advance their learning,” said Amy Calvert, CEO of… more
Jan 16, 2020
Are you using the latest marketing tactics to promote your event? Are you sure? Is print finally, officially dead or still practical? What about email? Where’s the line between too much or too little communication? Successful event marketing can be a rapidly moving target, so let’s kick off the new year (and a new decade!) by discussing the latest opportunities to reach and connect with your audiences.
Join us on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 1 p.m. ET, when Elizabeth Johnson, principal of glee Content Marketing, will lead a discussion about the latest event marketing tools, strategies and more by… more
Jan 15, 2020
MGM Growth Properties and Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust today announced that MGP and BREIT have entered into a definitive agreement to form a new joint venture to acquire the Las Vegas real estate assets of the MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay for $4.6 billion. In addition, BREIT will purchase $150 million in MGP Class A shares. MGP will own 50.1% of the joint venture, and BREIT will own 49.9%.
At closing, MGM Resorts International will enter into a long-term triple net master lease for both properties and provide a full corporate guarantee of rent payments. MGM Resorts will continue to… more
Partner Voices
Overview:
The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality.
In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way.
“We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.”
Amenities:
The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.
The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience
The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need.
Gold Key Members
The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events.
OCCC Events:
This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.
The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:
AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023
200,000 Attendees
$257 Million in Economic Impact
MEGACON 2023
160,000 Attendees
$205 Million in Economic Impact
Open Championship Series 2023
69,500 Attendees
$89 Million in Economic Impact
Sunshine Classic 2023
42,000 Attendees
$54 Million in Economic Impact
Premiere Orlando 2023
42,000 Attendees
$108 Million in Economic Impact