News
Oct 12, 2018
Vision Expo West celebrated its 30thanniversary by achieving a nearly double-digit increase in attendance compared to the year before.
Held Sept. 26-29 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas, the annual eyecare and eyewear conference and exhibition attracted 12,579 ophthalmic professionals from across the globe, a sizable increase compared to 2017, when 11,790 attended the event.
The show’s attendance increased in nearly every category, particularly in Opticians and Optometrists, as well as in Independent OD and MD practices, multidisciplinary practices, chains/superstores and laboratories,… more
Oct 11, 2018
The 16th edition of Tarsus Group’s biennial trade show, Labelexpo Americas, was the largest in its history.
A total of 487 exhibitors were spread across the biggest floorspace yet, at 203,642 square feet, with almost 30 percent of exhibitors new to this year’s show.
During the course of the three-day show, which took place Sept. 25-27 at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago, an increase in attendees to 16,413 from 86 countries passed through its doors.
The Latin America region was especially strongly represented, with a 95-percent increase on its 2016 show attendee total.… more
Oct 11, 2018
Convention Data Services (CDS) has launched Reg Stands, an all-in-one onsite self-check-in solution that allows show organizers to provide their attendees with a quick, easy and efficient way to check in at events.
These custom-designed, manufactured registration stations combine all onsite registration functionality into a single, self-contained touchscreen unit that includes a touchscreen, tablet/laptop, scanner and credit card swipe – replacing the countertop laptop, mouse, scanner and card swipe.
The layout of the units can be designed for various configurations, such as traditional… more
Oct 11, 2018
The Professional Convention Management Association(PCMA) has cast its votes for the next generation of professional business event leaders. PCMA’s newest class of “20 in their Twenties” represent a wide variety of regions, industries and organization types.
Honorees were selected from a pool of applicants by a committee comprised of veteran industry professionals and “20 in their Twenties” alumni. Application was limited to full-time employees in the business events industry who would be no older than 29 on Jan. 9, 2019 and examples of industry leadership, a video statement and professional… more
Oct 09, 2018
In January of this year, Meet AC unveiled a new virtual reality (VR) experience that enables event planners, brands and prospective visitors to experience everything Atlantic City’s convention scene and visitor experience has to offer from the comfort of their chairs. Now, once again in partnership with YouVisit, the CVB has released new upgrades to the VR platform to help provide an even more engaging and enhanced visitor experience of the ocean-front city.
New immersive features include new 360-degree guided tour stops that highlight all the fun leisure activities visitors and planners… more
Oct 09, 2018
More than two million pets and other live animals are transported by air every year in the U.S. While the U.S. Department of Transportation offers guidelines, each airline establishes its own company policy for the proper handling of the animals they transport.
In April 2000, the U.S. Congress passed the Safe Air Travel for Animals Act. Many airlines responded to this law by implementing restrictions on accepting pets as cargo. United Airlines is currently the only domestic airline that will cargo-transport brachycephalic, aka flat-faced, short-nosed dogs such as bulldogs and pugs who are… more
Oct 08, 2018
IBTM China 2018 closed on a high, with over 6,600 pre-planned meetings happening during the two day-long event, which took place from 12–13 September at China National Convention Centre (CNCC) in Beijing. Over 300 exhibitors from 20 countries were joined by more than 280 Hosted Buyers and 3,400 visitors for two days of meetings, networking and educational sessions.
“We are excited to be here this year. San Francisco is a very popular destination for Chinese tourists. We received over 500,000 visitors this year and we hope to grow this number next year. We do attend some other IBTM shows… more
Oct 08, 2018
Out of 901 events held in the first eight month of the year, 237 or 26 percent were new events choosing the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) for the first time.
From Jan. 1-Aug. 31, corporate meetings and banqueting events (corporate sales segment) recorded the biggest growth of the Centre’s business segments, with a jump of 161 events which was a 22% increase in comparison to the same period last year.
Elaborating on this, the Centre’s General Manager, Alan Pryor, shared, “We are pleased with our performance so far this year, especially in the corporate sales segment. This… more
Oct 08, 2018
Earlier this week, the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) announced it acquired the rights and equity in AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) held by IEC Investments Limited, as well as the ownership of AsiaWorld-Expo Management Limited, for HK$900 million (US $115 million).
This deal reduces the shareholders of AWE to just two – the Hong Kong Government and AA.
At the same time, AsiaWorld-Expo CEO, Allen Ha left the organisation. He was immediately replaced with Irene Chan who was previously with the Airport Authority. Ha had been in the role of CEO for 11 years.
Chan has been with the AA since 2007.… more
Oct 08, 2018
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is pleased to have received two major awards from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award in the Special Event category and Silver Excellence in Economic Development Award in the Paid Advertising Campaign category both honor the HKTDC’s Fashion Hong Kong campaign at New York Fashion Week.
The awards were presented at a ceremony on Tuesday, Oct 2 at the IEDC Annual Conference, which was held Sept 29-Oct 3 in Atlanta, Georgia.
“We are honored to receive these two awards from such… 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