News

Jan 08, 2019
The annual trade show for independent grocers, the NGA Show, has announced plans to feature seven specialty pavilions with exhibits specifically focused on meat, produce, specialty foods, coffee, technology, seasonal merchandise and Latino cuisine.  To be held Feb. 24-27 at the San Diego Convention Center, the new pavilions are designed to provide attendees with greater opportunities to make connections with specialty exhibitors as well as learn about the latest developments in the grocery industry, according to show officials.  “We thank our returning partners, the North American Meat… more
Jan 07, 2019
By Douglas Emslie, Tarsus Group Managing Director I strongly believe that we as an industry need to do more to give back to our communities. To practice what I preach, this year I will be running the Boston marathon on behalf of a local Boston charity that does a fantastic job for the Newton community – NWW Committee for Community Living. HERE is a link if you would like to support my running on behalf of this great non-profit! I’m planning to write a monthly blog on my challenge, which will go out on TSNN.com and on social media. So here is my first-ever blog!The year 2018 ended as it… more
Jan 07, 2019
Not all that long ago, all meetings were conducted face-to-face. More recently, technology enabled virtual meetings. Today, a hybrid model allows for more participants spread across a wider geographical area but the challenge has continued to be around engagement. How do you keep remote participants engaged and how do you keep and share the data generated within the meeting? Park MGM andCiscohave an answer: the new 7,000 square foot Ideation Studio. With the opening of the Studio, Las Vegas’ Park MGM is the world’s first hotel to offer groups Cisco Webex Boards and Cisco Webex Teams … more
Jan 04, 2019
After its on-schedule completion at the end of 2018, the long-awaited Moscone Center expansion project was celebrated with a grand opening gala event on Jan. 3.  The $551 million expansion adds more than 157,000 gross square feet of flexible meeting space to Moscone North and South and increases the center’s total exhibit space to more than 504,000 sq. ft. “Our two main goals have been to create contiguous space and flexibility for the Moscone Center,” said Lynn Farzaroli, senior director of the Moscone expansion for San Francisco Travel Association. “It’s a brand-new center with state-of-… more
Jan 03, 2019
Across the world, trade show visitors are reporting overall satisfaction with the shows they attend but at the same time, 22-27 percent of show visitors from mature markets believe that shows are “getting worse.” Meanwhile, younger C-suite show participants are asking for trade shows that are more entertaining while still helping them meet their business needs. These are some of the core findings of the recently released 2018/19 Global Visitor Insights Study, which was jointly conducted by UFI – the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry and London-based event research specialists,… more
Jan 03, 2019
Despite the cold front and accompanying rain that visitors endured at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition 2018, held Dec. 10-13 in New Orleans, technology was shining bright inside at the conference.  With an overall focus on enhancing the attendee experience, the new technologies showcased at the event did not disappoint and will likely be a strong focus for trade show marketers in the new year. While exhibitors offered many technologies that attendees could interact with and learn about, these three stood out as trends to watch in 2019: Getting into a ZenSpace: Exhibitors… more
Jan 02, 2019
Know your audience and your industry’s influencers well. That’s the advice event marketing experts have for event organizers in 2019. They predict that the trends of data and influencer marketing will continue to have a strong impact on drawing attendees to events. They also say that these tools will be required to cut through the clutter and reach audiences with valuable brand messages. Sam Lippman, president of Lippman Connects, says that influencer marketing will be essential for organizers to draw attendees to their events and that event marketers will invest more human capital to… more
Dec 30, 2018
The International Association of Exhibitions and Events’ Expo! Expo! Annual Meeting & Exhibition attracted more than 2,300 attendees representing 26 countries (pending verified audit) to the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.   “I cannot think of a better way to celebrate IAEE’s 90th anniversary than with the Expo! Expo! we had last week,” said IAEE President and CEO David DuBois, CMP, CAE, FASAE, CTA.  He added, “The diversity in learning experiences offered, combined with one of our largest trade show floors ever and outstanding networking events in wonderful locations,… more
Dec 30, 2018
How can healthcare convention marketers leverage the power of digital persuasion to ignite social influence and maintain a competitive edge? To help answer this question, HCEA has unveiled that the award-winning author Erin Gargan King will kick-off HCEAInnovate 2019, on tap Feb. 24 at the Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas. “Online media continue to dominate communication across industries – and especially the dynamic healthcare sector,” said Anne Trompeter, HCEAInnovate Chair. She added, “We are so excited to welcome Erin as opening keynote speaker to share her observations with our… more
Dec 20, 2018
Meeting scheduling can be the bane of an event planner’s existence. Anyone who has ever tried to coordinate multiple schedules in order to book meetings or demos at trade shows or conferences knows how difficult it can be – the phrase “herding cats” springs to mind.  It’s equally difficult to show the value of these meetings and how they influence sales pipeline and revenue generation. Jifflenow aims to solve both of these problems with its meeting automation platform (MAP). “Enterprises are looking beyond lead generation at events and have been asking for solutions to influence revenue… 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