News
Nov 28, 2016
The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), a global community and educator for Business Event Strategists, announces that Fun Y. Lee, CMP-HC joins the association as a consultant.
Lee will provide an additional experienced voice to further PCMA’s education and content offerings on the trends and challenges of medical business events and compliance globally.
“Expanding our medical focus with Fun’s in-depth knowledge into what medical meeting leaders need in order to help them to excel in their roles will help us further expand our reach and develop programming unique to the… more
Nov 28, 2016
United Fresh, the association for the fresh produce industry, will not only expand its innovation platform, but also it will move its annual conference and expo June 13-15 into the larger West Hall at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
The event will debut new expo features in convenience and fresh foods, robotics and supply chain technology, and conference sessions bringing attendees and exhibitors together with subject matter experts to help grow their businesses.
“We’re excited to launch a new format and programs in 2017 to serve specific needs in the fresh produce industry, segmenting the… more
Nov 28, 2016
Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting has appointed SPARGO as their housing services partner.
SPARGO will assume the management of attendee and exhibitor housing services for the PAS 2017 Meeting, May 6-9 in San Francisco.
“SPARGO will be providing a streamlined housing process and new technologies that will improve the attendee experience, promote room block utilization, and provide in-depth analytics and trending data,” said Susan Bracken, president and CEO, SPARGO.
The Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting is produced and co-sponsored on behalf of four pediatric organizations: American… more
Nov 28, 2016
BIOMEDevice San Jose, collocated with Embedded Systems Conference (ESC) Silicon Valley to bring together the engineering and medtech industries, unveiled that Neil Harbisson, cyborg activist and Cyborg Foundation co-founder, will take the keynote stage to deliver a presentation surrounding biological evolution via cybernetic technology.
BIOMEDevice San Jose and ESC Silicon Valley will take place Dec. 6-8 at the San Jose (Calif.) Convention Center.
Harbisson is the co-founder of the Cyborg Foundation, an international organization that promotes the use of cybernetics as a… more
Nov 28, 2016
By Leslie Thornton
Associations and other nonprofit executives face numerous challenges as they seek to allocate resources, time and staffing while also trying to create dynamic events that provide value for attendees, sponsors and other stakeholders. In many cases, these executives are turning to experienced external sources to handle specific functions, roles or even entire events.
In fact, 81 percent of association executives said they are currently outsourcing key functions such as graphic design and multimedia, membership technology and event strategy, according to a 2015 survey… more
Nov 26, 2016
As part of TSNN’s 20th anniversary celebration, Douglas Emslie, managing director of U.K.-based Tarsus Group - one of the largest trade show companies in the world with over 110 events – was interviewed recently about how Tarsus first came to buy TSNN, not only once, but two times.
He also discussed what role he sees TSNN playing now in the overall trade show industry and in the future.
TSNN: How did you first hear about TSNN?
Douglas Emslie: In 1999, Tarsus purchased the Exhibition Bulletin magazine in the U.K., which is considered the bible of the exhibition industry - listing all… more
Nov 26, 2016
For the past year, TSNN has celebrated its 20th anniversary with a series of articles profiling leaders in the trade show industry, as well as writing about shows and companies that are a part of the overall rich #tradeshowhistory.
All of this celebrating will culminate Dec. 6-8 at the International Association of Exhibitions and Events Expo! Expo! Annual Meeting and Exhibition in TSNN’s booth (#948) on the showfloor.
Besides a timeline designed by The Expo Group highlighting some of the trade show leaders, trade show history and TSNN’s own 20 years of history, there also will be a trivia… more
Nov 26, 2016
UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has named the event marketing software company Feathr as winner of its prestigious UFI Technology Award.
With a focus on “Digital innovation”, this year’s competition set out to find the best new technologies that support the exhibition industry.
international panel of exhibition professionals selected Feathr for its innovative Event Marketing Cloud, a suite of tools designed to help event organisers “know, grow, engage and monetise their digital audiences”.
“At UFI’s ICT Committee we strive for… more
Nov 26, 2016
Smart City Networks, an event telecommunications, and technology services provider for the convention industry, completed a complete overhaul of the Hawai’i Convention Center’s data and wireless capabilities in 27 days, an industry record.
“This project under normal circumstances would have required three to four months to plan, purchase and receive components, contract construction, install equipment, configure, test, and deploy,” said Smart City Networks President Mark Haley. “Our team worked tirelessly to meet this record deadline and this serves as an… more
Nov 25, 2016
In 1986, Madonna broke through the male-dominated music scene, Oprah Winfrey debuted her TV show, and Nancy Hallberg and Kris Sieradski launched Connections Housing in Atlanta.
The two women met after both moved to Atlanta to work in hotel sales (Hallberg from Kansas, Sieradski from Michigan). Hallberg likes to say that “Connections was born in a closet.”
In reality, they rented a small space near the Margaret Mitchell House in Midtown Atlanta. It was just the two of them working in the business, other than Hallberg’s father who came in to answer the phone.
Back in those days, hotels… 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