News

When it comes to the age-old topic of sponsorships, you can never have enough new ideas. With event budgets constantly challenging you to do more with less, it’s important to explore untapped resources for new cash flow. A recent study shows that 63 percent of event organizers rely on sponsorships as a significant source of revenue. Are you one of those organizations? If so, you need to be creating high-value sponsorship packages your sponsors won’t can’t afford to miss. To learn how, please join us on our next Ask Me Anything chat, “Rethinking Assets to Increase Event + Sponsorship Revenue… more
U.K.-based Informa is set to acquire U.S.-based Penton in a deal worth $1.56 billion from private equity owners MidOcean Partners and Wasserstein & Co. The transaction is subject to approval by Informa shareholders and customary regulatory and closing conditions and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2016. "Today, we are announcing continued progress on our Growth Acceleration Plan with the proposed addition of Penton Information Services,” said Stephen A. Carter, Informa Group CEO.  “This combination will further strengthen our capabilities in Global Exhibitions… more
The seven-year-old Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre continues to record healthy growth in all business segments, despite headwinds from the United States and Europe. Between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31, KLCC hosted 1,258 events, a 15-percent increase, compared with the 1,097 held in the previous corresponding period, serving 1.37 million delegates and visitors. Here are some of the more notable events: The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons 81st Annual Scientific Congressin May, which saw 1,250 delegates come together during five days, making this the largest multi-disciplinary surgical meeting… more
When the American Psychiatric Association Heart Rhythm Society recently held their annual meetings, they decided to leave a lasting impact and give back to the local host communities. The APA’s meeting was held May 5-9 at Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania Convention Center and the association made a pledge to make a group donation to the Philadelphia Mental Health Center at the culmination of the event. Donations were made throughout the convention, and the APA matched every dollar that was donated by attendees. The APA 2012 Meeting also featured host Edward M. Kennedy, Jr. as the… more
GES’ second-quarter revenues were up 12.2 percent to $320.1 million from $285.4 million during the same period the year before. “GES delivered second-quarter results that surpassed our prior guidance, with a revenue increase of 12 percent year-over-year and an adjusted segment EBITDA margin of 12.5 percent,” said Viad’s president and CEO Steve Moster. He added, “The upside to guidance was broad-based and fueled by industry growth, solid execution by the GES team and our efforts to position GES as the preferred global, full-service provider for live events with a comprehensive suite of… more
Kathleen Thomas, who has worked for several high-profile investment banking firms in the business-to-business exhibitions and conferences space, was named managing director at New York City-based JEGI, effective immediately. Thomas will further expand JEGI’s global leadership across the global media, information, marketing, software and tech‐enabled services sectors, according to company officials. “We are delighted to welcome Kathleen on board,” said Wilma Jordan, founder and CEO of JEGI. Jordan added, “She and Richard Mead, our long‐tenured managing director and B2B specialist, together… more
Messe Düsseldorf India concluded the 2017 edition of Medical Fair India in April and just recently published key statistics from the event. The exhibition ran from 6th to 8th April at the Pragati Exhibition Center in New Delhi. The three-day event featured 519 exhibitors. According to the organiser, a total of 13,480 trade visitors attended the fair, which represents an increase of 15% compared with the 2016 edition. The space occupied by exhibitors grew by 16% year-on-year. Medical Fair India is held alternately between New Delhi and Mumbai. The 2018 edition will be held at the Bombay… more
Aromatherapy, easier group transportation booking, language interpretation and a cloud-based event management platform were some of the meeting tools vying for the top prize at this year’s Society of Independent Show Organizer’s Event Battlefield. The competition was held during SISO’s Leadership conference, Aug. 1-4 in Philadelphia, at which just under 200 attendees voted for one of five companies. The top company was EventBots by Sciensio, which is a technology that allows attendees at an event to text any question they have about it to the EventBot tool and receive an immediate answer… more
The American Thoracic Society selected Sherpa Solutions to deploy its indoor positioning system at the ATS 2017 International Conference, which is on tap May 19-24 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The system will be deployed on multiple floors in all public spaces, including meeting rooms, ballrooms, exhibit halls and poster sessions. “The Sherpa indoor positioning system is the only one of its kind. It’s like providing participants with their very own GPS, accurate to 6’, so they can accurately find their way within the venue. They can locate and meet with the people who… more
At the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention & Expo, held Feb. 8-11 in Orlando, attendees had the opportunity to try out something new - a2z, Inc.'s ChirpE Photo Booth. At the booth during the show,  not only did people have fun dressing up and sharing photos through social media, it also created a lot of buzz during and after the show. The ChirpE Photo Booth is an easy-to-use iPad-based Photo Booth with robust social media capabilities. The ChirpE Photo Booth enables event attendees to take their own picture, add a quote or testimonial and post it to their Facebook Page… 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