New Business Contracts: Shows, Venues Renew and Sign New Contracts

April 18, 2018

The St. John’s Convention Centre, National Association of Drug Stores and International Market Centers all either brought on a new supplier or renewed an existing contract in the past month during a busy time in the trade show industry. 

Centerplate was selected as the exclusive catering partner for the St. John’s Convention Centre, following a comprehensive bid process.

Located in the heart of downtown St. John’s in Newfoundland and Labrador, SJCC offers state-of-the-art facilities for meetings, conferences and events. 

The 10-year contract will encompass all food and beverage services for events at SJCC, beginning June 1. 

“Centerplate has an excellent reputation for working with local community partners and meeting planners to create unique and exceptional events. We’re excited to welcome this unmatched level of expertise during our growth phase,” said Sheena McCrate, CEO of St. John’s Sports and Entertainment Ltd. 

She added, “Aligned with our vision to make SJCC a premiere boutique convention centre, Centerplate will play a major role in helping us create extraordinary experiences for SJCC clients and in turn generate economic benefits for stakeholders throughout the City of St. John’s.”

“Destination St. John’s is pleased to welcome Centerplate as the new food and beverage provider at the St. John’s Convention Centr’.” said CEO Cathy Duke. 

She added, “We look forward to working with Centerplate to offer visitors and guests of SJCC a truly memorable experience and to promoting St. John’s as a world-class conference destination.”

Centerplate provides food and beverage services to more than 300 meeting and convention venues across Canada and the U.S., including the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara, the Scotiabank Centre arena in Halifax, Toronto’s Beanfield Centre, Whistler Conference Centre in British Columbia, Bell MTS Place (home of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets), BC Place Stadium, and the award-winning Vancouver Convention Centre.

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) has re-signed with CompuSystems to provide registration services for their Annual Meeting and for the Total Store Expo in 2018, 2019 and 2020. 

NACDS advances a pro-patient and pro-pharmacy agenda. For the ultimate benefit of the consumers served by NACDS members, the mission of NACDS is to advance the interests and objectives of the chain community pharmacy industry, by fostering its growth and promoting its role as a provider of healthcare services and consumer products. 

The 2018 Annual Meeting will be held April 21-24, in Palm Beach, Fla., while the Total Store Expo will be held Aug. 25-28, in Denver, Colo. 

Citing significant year-over-year hotel room block growth, strong service and marketing support, International Market Centers, Inc (IMC) has renewed and extended its housing contract with Connections Housing through 2021.  

Serving as official housing partner for IMC since 2011, Connections will continue to oversee all aspects of the housing process - from contracting and room block management to reservations and post-show analysis -- for the world's largest operator of showroom space for the furnishings, home decor and gift industries, with 12.1 million square feet of world-class exhibition space in High Point, N.C. and Las Vegas.

Servicing the account from its Las Vegas office, Connections Housing has generated a 93.74-percent increase in room block growth for the Winter and Summer Las Vegas Markets since contracting with IMC in 2011. 

In addition to these events, Connections handles housing needs for the Las Vegas Design Center on a year-round basis, as well as affiliate meetings and events for larger buying groups, showrooms and tenants.

"Buyer attendance and exhibitor participation for our Las Vegas Markets grows every year, so it's critical to have a housing partner that helps us deliver the best possible customer experience," said Roger White, senior vice president of market operations, IMC.

He added, "The high touch, white glove service the Connections team provides, together with their strong hotel relationships, and creative, results-oriented marketing strategies, make them an invaluable member of our team."

The Connections team consistently has exceeded hotel pick-up goals for IMC events each year using a variety of marketing and service strategies, including the innovative "Book the Block" promotion, strong outbound telemarketing, email marketing and other proactive attendee and exhibitor outreach tools. 

"We are honored that IMC has shown such confidence in us," said Robert Colvin, executive vice president, Connections Housing. 

He added, "IMC's fast-growing, world-class events demand cutting edge technology backed by a team that truly understands the needs of its many audience segments. We have all the tools and dedicated team members in place to deliver an exceptional experience - from booking through check-out."

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HERE, hosting responsible meetings and caring for our communities are top priorities. Through its 'Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet' philosophy, MGM Resorts commits to creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make an impact in the lives of employees, guests, and the communities in which it operates. Water Stewardship Efforts MGM Resorts understands the importance of using water efficiently, especially in the desert destination of Las Vegas. Conserving water has always been part of the mission, but MGM Resorts has expanded its ambition into water stewardship. In 2022, MGM Resorts President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle signed the CEO Water Mandate—a UN Global Compact initiative mobilizing business leaders to advance water stewardship. MGM Resorts International was the first gaming company to take this important step. MGM Resorts replaced 200,000 square feet of real grass with drought-tolerant landscaping in Las Vegas. MGM Resorts pledges to reduce water withdrawal intensity by 33% by 2025 and by 35% by 2030. From 2007-2021, use of more than 5.6 billion gallons of water was avoided because of conservation efforts. Caring for One Another MGM Resorts’ Food Donations Program collects and preserves unserved food from conventions held at MGM Resorts properties, then safely donates to food insecure people in the community. Since the program’s launch in 2016, more than 3.7 million meals toward a 2025 goal of 5 million meals have been donated into the community. Donations include: Unserved perishable prepared foods from events Perishable unprepared food from MGM Resorts’ kitchens Nonperishable food items from minibars and warehouses The collaboration with Southern Nevada’s primary food bank, Three Square, has developed the infrastructure needed to safely collect, transport, and store food from MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas, reducing food waste while serving the community. Fostering Diversity and Inclusion To MGM Resorts, a diverse and talented workforce is essential to success. By cultivating innovative strategies that consider multiple perspectives and viewpoints, the company creates an inclusive workplace culture that benefits its employees and community. MGM Resorts takes pride in being a welcoming home for veterans, individuals with disabilities, people from diverse backgrounds, LGBTQ+ community members, and more. This commitment to inclusion is reflected in the company's recruitment and hiring practices and its social responsibility initiatives. From the workplace to the community, MGM Resorts' commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion remains unwavering, and its efforts continue to create a more equitable and sustainable world for all. MGM Resorts understands its responsibility to contribute to the social and economic progress of the communities in which it operates. HERE, we embrace humanity.