News
Feb 08, 2016
Music blasting from loudspeakers that pumped up the standing-room only crowd who cheered on the more than 20 contestants of the Bricklayer 500 World Championship, in which 800 bricks are placed in an hour flat, was just one of the many exciting opportunities offered to attendees of World of Concrete.
The show, which ran Feb. 2-5 at the Las Vegas Convention Center and is owned by Informa Exhibitions, was a huge hit overall, drawing its largest attendance in seven years, according to Tom Cindric, vice president at Informa.
The unaudited attendance numbers were tracking an 8-10-percent… more
Feb 07, 2016
The availability or absence of smart search and planning features on the event website can make or break an attendee’s emotional engagement with that event.
Recently, recognizing that multichannel digital marketing is essential to reach an attendee audience, Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) organized a detailed research on the use of technology at each step of the attendee journey. The report, available as the CEIR Digital ToolKit, documented attendee use and satisfaction with organizer digital offerings, as well as at what organizers found was used extensively and… more
Feb 07, 2016
Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading event organizer, and Feathr, the Event Marketing Cloud™ helping grow and monetize events through digital channels, have expanded their partnership to bring Feathr to more than 100 of Reed’s events around the globe.
“Feathr is the first digital marketing suite truly built around the needs of the modern trade show,” said Ted Rawson, chief digital officer at Reed Exhibitions.
He added, “After seeing strong results with our North American shows, it was a priority to empower our other business units with this technology.… more
Feb 07, 2016
Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading event organizer, and Feathr, the Event Marketing Cloud™ helping grow and monetize events through digital channels, have expanded their partnership to bring Feathr to more than 100 of Reed’s events around the globe.
“Feathr is the first digital marketing suite truly built around the needs of the modern trade show,” said Ted Rawson, chief digital officer at Reed Exhibitions.
He added, “After seeing strong results with our North American shows, it was a priority to empower our other business units with this technology.… more
Feb 07, 2016
The availability or absence of smart search and planning features on the event website can make or break an attendee’s emotional engagement with that event.
Recently, recognizing that multichannel digital marketing is essential to reach an attendee audience, Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) organized a detailed research on the use of technology at each step of the attendee journey. The report, available as the CEIR Digital ToolKit, documented attendee use and satisfaction with organizer digital offerings, as well as at what organizers found was used extensively and… more
Feb 04, 2016
MC² (“MC-squared”), an exhibit, event and environment design and production agency, has acquired Brand Promotions, an experiential marketing and brand activation company.
The addition of Brand Promotions expands MC²’s growth opportunities within its existing trade show and events portfolio by offering expanded experiential marketing tours capabilities, according to MC² officials.
“We’re delighted to welcome Brand Promotions to the MC² family. They are a proven leader and creative force in the experiential marketing space. They are a great, hard-working team who share… more
Feb 03, 2016
Private equity firm Sentinel Capital Partners bought Marketplace Events, which organizes home and garden shows in the United States and Canada. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"We are very excited about our investment in Marketplace Events," said Michael Fabian, a partner at Sentinel. "We seek to invest in niche market leaders, and Marketplace Events is the clear leader in the North American home and garden show industry.”
He added, “Moreover, the business was extremely resilient during the 2008 economic downturn and should benefit from positive tailwinds in the home remodeling and… more
Feb 03, 2016
Dallas-based Omni Hotels & Resorts broke ground on its 30-story, 853,000-square-foot hotel and luxury apartment complex today in downtown Louisville adjacent to the Kentucky International Convention Center.
“The Omni is a game-changer for Louisville’s hospitality industry increasing our convention business potential in a competitive marketplace. Louisville currently hosts 12.7 million visitors each year,” said Karen Williams, president and CEO of the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau.
He added, “A hotel project of this scope will help support further tourism growth.”
The Omni… more
Feb 02, 2016
UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry’s Global Barometer Survey, which takes the pulse of the trade show industry worldwide, indicated that North America and Europe, with the exception of Russia, are predicting positive revenue results in 2016.
On the other hand, in the Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa, the situations remain generally positive, but with a certain level of uncertainty.
In Central and South America half of the surveyed companies are expecting decreases of turnover, but an improvement is expected in Brazil for the second half of 2016.
“Despite limited… more
Feb 01, 2016
The trade show industry had a strong kick off for 2016, with shows posting big exhibitor and attendee numbers that focused on not only what the newest gourmet food trends might be, but also the latest in musical instruments and everything that someone interested in shooting and hunting might need.
The 2016 Winter Fancy Food Show, owned by the Specialty Food Association and held Jan. 17-19 at Moscone Center in San Francisco, drew 1,500 exhibitors from across the U.S. and 28 countries to exhibit space that covered 215,000 square feet, enough to fill more than four football fields with food.… 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