News
Mar 31, 2023
E3, the world’s premier celebration of interactive entertainment, will not take place in person or digitally this year, according to an announcement by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and ReedPop, the show’s organizer.
Last July, ESA partnered with ReedPop, a boutique division of RX, to spearhead the long-awaited return of E3 to the Los Angeles Convention Center in 2023. The event, which was scheduled to take place June 13-16, had not been held since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This was a difficult decision because of all the effort we and our partners put toward… more
Mar 31, 2023
Event Tech Live (ETL) has launched its first hosted buyer program for its shows in Las Vegas and London using the MustMeet platform by Grip, a leading AI-powered event tech provider built for meetings and matchmaking.
Grip’s MustMeet product, a powerful meeting scheduling system for event organizers, is being used by ETL to automatically schedule, manage and host a range of meetings for buyers and suppliers.
“Our hosted buyer initiative is about expediting the ETL experience for brands and businesses typically unable to commit a day to the show,” said Adam Parry, co-founder of ETL. “… more
Mar 30, 2023
The Kentucky General Assembly has passed legislation that includes a revision (from 6% to 0%) to the commonwealth’s sales tax on exhibit and sponsor space rental for face-to-face business events. Signed into law by Governor Andy Beshear on March 24, it states that business event organizers will be exempt from charging sales tax to their exhibitors and sponsors, essentially reversing a new 6% tax that went into effect on Jan. 1.
Some trade show organizers began collecting taxes from exhibitors and sponsors to be in compliance with the new law, while others informed exhibitors who signed new… more
Mar 29, 2023
Global B2B events, data and media platform Arc, which is backed by investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital, has tapped 25-year events industry veteran Mary Larkin as Americas CEO and Executive Committee member. In her new leadership role, she will be responsible for leading the company’s Americas businesses on its growth journey and will work alongside Americas Executive Vice President Tim Hart to further develop Arc’s North American business.
The announcement comes on the heels of two U.S.-based acquisitions that Arc has made within the past seven months that have added substantial… more
Mar 28, 2023
Across the trade show spectrum, event-related organizations are continuing to grow their teams and appoint new leadership as the industry forges ahead into Q2. Take a look!
CORT Events
Leading provider of furniture rental and transition services, CORT, recently expanded its executive sales and marketing team with the addition of Phil DeSarno in the newly created role of vice president of sales, marketing and merchandising. In his new role, DeSarno will be responsible for enhancing divisional relationships and alignment with CORT’s top clients to drive business development while boosting… more
Mar 27, 2023
The rise of e-commerce, the impact of the pandemic, the desire for hybrid events: Our industry continues to transform in radical ways. Our panelists decipher what these pivots mean and forecast what’s to come during our roundtable.
Ribbon’s CEO Vinit Patil was joined by a panel of industry insiders to analyze something on everyone’s mind: the future of market centers.
To bring in a European perspective, he was joined by Jimmy MacDonald, the Founder of the London Design Fair and Ribbon’s Global Fairs Liaison Director.
Jesse James, VP and Show Director at International Market Centers and… more
Mar 27, 2023
Despite a rainy week in Las Vegas, the triennial CONEXPO-CON/AGG & IFPE 2023 crushed attendance expectations, drawing 139,000 construction and fluid power professionals from 133 countries to the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) and Festival Grounds March 14-18. Besides attendance that marked a 6 percent increase compared to 2020, the show featured more than 2,400 exhibitors across more than 3 million square feet, an increase of 10.5 percent.
“For the construction industry, coming to this show is an extremely high priority,” said Dana Wuesthoff, vice president, exhibitions and event… more
Mar 24, 2023
RainFocus™, a next-generation event marketing platform, has released new data integration solutions in collaboration with Adobe to seamlessly connect real-time behavioral event data with Adobe's technologies for accelerated growth.
RainFocus recently became an Adobe Certified Platinum Partner and has been working with Adobe to elevate customer journeys for joint clients and optimize omnichannel marketing and sales programs.
The new capabilities easily ingest and map RainFocus data into the Adobe Experience Platform (AEP), enabling customers to manage and configure their… more
Mar 24, 2023
Even in the midst of a war — perhaps all the more so — companies look to exhibitions to help grow their businesses. After domestic demand dropped sharply when Russia invaded Ukraine in Feb. 2022, Ukrainian furniture companies were forced to look beyond their borders for sales.
That was the case for eight Ukrainian companies that exhibited in a pavilion at the Las Vegas Market, which was held Jan. 29-Feb. 2 at The Expo at World Market Center. Ukrainian owners, operators and reps made the arduous journey to display their goods at the biannual market in the hopes of creating connections… more
Mar 23, 2023
March, designated Women’s History Month, marks an opportune time to celebrate the female achievers of the events industry and beyond. We had the pleasure of checking in with six outstanding industry professionals to find out how their organizations support women, what they would advise for the next generation of female leaders and who they believe are women to watch.
Monique Ruff-Bell, Head of Events, TED Conferences
What are you most proud of in terms of the ways your organization supports women?
Internally at TED, many of our key departments and initiatives are led by women. We are… 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