News
Apr 12, 2022
Sometimes the path to a rewarding career is made up of happy accidents. Like many who work in the trade show industry these days, Yancy Weinrich “fell into” the profession via the jewelry industry, working for the American Gem Society and exhibiting at jewelry trade shows. One of those major events happened to be JCK, a leading annual jewelry event produced by RX, which later hired her to sell exhibit space for its jewelry portfolio comprising JCK and its sister event, Luxury.
“I can’t say that I ever thought I would be in jewelry or events—I really fell into both,” Weinrich explains. “I was… more
Apr 11, 2022
Event-related organizations throughout the U.S. and abroad are continuing to scoop up new team members and elevate executives as the industry-wide hiring and promoting frenzy continues unabated. Check them out!
Visit Seattle
Following a nationwide search, Visit Seattle and its board of directors have tapped hospitality veteran Tammy Blount-Canavan to be its president and CEO, starting May 9. As Visit Seattle’s first female CEO, she replaces 15-year leader Tom Norwalk, who retired earlier this spring.
With a rich leadership history spanning two countries and three decades, first in the… more
Apr 08, 2022
Bizzabo, the Event Experience Operating System (OS), unveiled the Global Event Center of Excellence, a dedicated division providing event expertise, education and resources for event professionals. The division will curate and share best practices and big picture insights via events, webinars, workshops, templates, tool kits and other pieces of content.
The aim of the new center is to help event professionals, regardless of experience level, excel by offering the training and knowledge they need to orchestrate exceptional, best-in-class event experiences, according to Devin Cleary, vice… more
Apr 07, 2022
The Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) CEO Summit, the most important annual networking and information-sharing event for show organizers, took place in person last month for the first time in two years, bringing hundreds of eager attendees together for an experience punctuated by exceptional content and optimism for the industry’s continued recovery and evolution.
More than 300 independent show organizers and C-level executives from sponsoring companies gathered for the three-day event, held March 21-24 at The Vinoy Renaissance Resort and Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Fla.
“… more
Apr 06, 2022
Sherrif Karamat is a life-long learner with an impressive list of credentials—an MBA and post-graduate certificates in business, management, strategic negotiations, data intelligence and big data, to name a few. But some of his greatest lessons—personally and professionally—have come over the past two years of the pandemic.
Capitalizing on those lessons is one of his top priorities as he guides the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and its members in successfully moving forward in the evolving events environment.
Reinvention is key, according to Karamat.
“Our industry… more
Apr 06, 2022
Every year, members leave your organization – they change jobs or professions, go out of business, retire, or just leave because they found a better alternative. That makes adding and retaining members to your association a top priority and a never-ending project. Let’s look at some reasons why your members might be going out the back door, and how you must keep new ones coming in the front.
Your association benefits are unclear
While obvious to you, oftentimes, the benefits your organization offers aren’t clear to your potential and current members. Prospects need the benefits delivered in… more
Apr 05, 2022
At its Annual Meeting at the Duke Energy Convention Center on March 25, the Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau unveiled a new brand identity and announced several key growth initiatives to an audience of 400 business professionals, civic leaders and members of the regional hospitality industry.
The 75-year-old destination marketing organization’s new name is “Visit Cincy,” created to better align with the CVB’s sales and marketing efforts, as well as its regional collaboration with meetNKY, the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau, to reach key markets for tourism,… more
Apr 04, 2022
More than 2,700 independent grocery retail professionals and leaders recently converged in Las Vegas for The NGA Show, the premier annual trade show and conference for the independent supermarket industry. Held Feb. 27-March 1 at CAESARS FORUM, the bustling in-person show brought together independent retailers, wholesalers, food retail industry executives, food manufacturers and service providers from across the U.S., resulting in a nearly 20% increase in attendance from previous years.
Produced by the National Grocers Association (NGA) and Clarion Events as part of its Food & Beverage… more
Apr 01, 2022
The metaverse is upon us, and The Toy Foundation is one of the latest companies to bring one of its events into the new world of virtual interactivity and participant engagement. For its recent Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards after-party, the Toy Foundation leveraged the immersive event platform of NewSky XR for a cutting-edge virtual experience.
NewSky XR took this year's TOTY to the next level by hosting an after-party for winners, Toy Industry Hall of Fame inductees and event attendees in their New York Rooftop location in the metaverse.
After the winners were announced, event… more
Mar 31, 2022
After two challenging years, there’s no doubt that the meetings and events industry could use an industry-wide celebration to commemorate and honor the return of in-person experiences. And what better way to celebrate the industry’s renaissance than by joining Meeting Professional International (MPI)’s fifth annual Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID): Virtual Experience, broadcasting live April 7 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. CDT.
As an annual international day of advocacy that shines a light on the positive impact that conferences, conventions and trade shows have on people, businesses and the… more
Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.
Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is on track to spend at least 15% of its biddable procurement with diverse-owned businesses by 2025, demonstrating that supplier diversity is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic business imperative.
Supplier diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business. A diverse supply chain allows access to a broader range of perspectives and experience, helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience, while strengthening communities. At MGM Resorts, engaging diverse suppliers ensures best-in-class experiences for guests and clients. Supplier diversity ensures a more resilient supply chain while supporting economic development in the communities in which it operates.
The impact of MGM Resorts' supplier diversity initiatives is significant. In 2023, these efforts supported over 3,500 jobs across more than 30 states, contributed over $214 million in income for diverse-owned businesses and generated more than $62 million in tax revenue. The story extends beyond the numbers – it reflects the tangible benefits brought to small and diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment in their communities.
MGM Resorts also supports the development and business skills of diverse-owned businesses through investment, mentorship and education. Through the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program, the company identifies, mentors and develops diverse-owned businesses to fill its future pipeline, while providing businesses with tools and resources to empower and uplift. Since 2017, the program has successfully graduated 105 diverse-owned businesses and is on track to achieve its goal of 150 graduates by 2025.
MGM Resorts’ commitment to supplier diversity not only enhances its business operations but also plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and fostering economic development. This approach reinforces the idea that diversity is a powerful driver of innovation and resilience, benefiting both the company and the wider community.