MGM Resorts International has launched a new Military & Veterans Program (MVP) to recognize the exceptional sacrifices and efforts of those who serve in the U.S. armed forces.

Conceptualized and developed by MGM Resorts’ Veterans Employee Network Group, MVP provides active military members, veterans and spouses with special recognition, offers, discounts and benefits at MGM Resorts destinations throughout the U.S.

“As a company, we have always supported our country’s greatest heroes,” said Jim Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International.

International Conference Development (lCDevents) is gearing up to launch Pet Connections Expo, a new pet industry trade show set for Oct. 3-4 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Penn.

The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) has chosen Pittsburgh and San Francisco to host its 2019 and 2020 Convening Leaders, respectively.

The event is the association’s annual education conference that attracts more than 4,200 event professionals.

“Convening Leaders is the premier industry event for leading business event professionals,” said Deborah Sexton, president and CEO of PCMA.

When a room filled with trade show organizers and suppliers gathers July 20 at the Washington Marriott at the Metro Center in Washington, D.C., for Transform USA, they will have the opportunity to take a deep dive into topics that are top of mind right now – data, analytics and digital.

The inaugural event is co-presented by UK-based trade show industry research firm AMR International and U.S.-based vent producer Lippman Connects.

U.S. business-to-business trade show and conference producer, Emerald Expositions, has selected Denver as the official home of its three annual Outdoor Retailer trade shows: Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show, Outdoor Retailer Summer Market and Outdoor Retailer Winter Market.

As the largest U.S. trade shows representing outdoor gear and clothing retailers and manufacturers, the events are expected to draw more than 85,000 attendees and $110 million economic impact annually to The Mile High City, according to show officials.

Cobo Center has entered into an eight-year contract with the North American International Auto Show that will keep one of the U.S.’s largest and world’s most influential auto shows in downtown Detroit through 2025, according to Claude Molinari, general manager of SMG/Cobo Center.

“With the leadership and work of the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA), along with SMG, Cobo Center is truly a world-class venue,” said Rod Alberts, NAIAS executive director.

Blackstone, through funds managed by Blackstone Real Estate Partners and Blackstone Tactical Opportunities, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire International Market Centers (“IMC”), an owner and operator of showroom space for the furnishings, home decor and gift industries, from Bain Capital Private Equity, LP and funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. 

Fireside Investments also is expected to partner with Blackstone in the acquisition. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

By Elizabeth Johnson

If your event has a blog, you’re engaged in content marketing. A social media channel? Yes, content marketing again. An e-newsletter? You guessed it – content marketing. Whether show planners call it “content marketing” or not, many are using content marketing tactics to promote their events.

Content marketing can build brand awareness, maintain connections and engagements with audiences between events and provide support to help attendees “make the case” to their supervisors for participating in an event.

LIGHTFAIR International boasted its largest show and Philadelphia registration numbers at its most recent event, held May 7-11 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

The world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference registered 27,939 attendees from 81 countries spanning 277,600 net square feet of expo space, with registration exceeding its 2016 event and increasing 7.4 percent, compared with its 2013 Philadelphia show.

In the ever-evolving journey to take the trade show industry in a more sustainable direction, certain stakeholders appear to be getting creative by experimenting with fun and unique ways to cut down on the massive amounts of waste most events typically produce, including food waste.

Case in point: the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and its exclusive food and beverage provider, Centerplate, which hosted a “Zero Waste Lunch” on May 10 at WasteExpo 2017, held May 8-11 at the New Orleans-based facility.