News

Dec 04, 2011
NürnbergMesse’s BioFach Japan recently kicked off its 11th edition Nov. 1-3 at the Tokyo Big Sight Exhibition Centre amidst growing interest in the organic food industry in Japan, with 168 exhibitors from 10 countries. “Last year’s BioFach Japan impressed with its most successful edition ever,” said Frank Venjakob, director of events for NürnbergMesse International headquartered in Germany. He added, “Whereas we welcomed more exhibitors and visitors to the 10th birthday than ever before, we faced a totally new situation this year.” The… more
Dec 04, 2011
In October, Reed Exhibitionsconcluded its dual interior décor events, 100% Design Shanghaiand International Home Décor & Design (IHDD). A total of 147 exhibitors from 16 countries and regions attended the event, while the number of visitors stood at more than 13,700 – up 15 percent,  compared with last year’s edition. The events were held Nov. 3-5 at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre. Key product categories covered at the three-day events included furniture, bathroom décor, lighting installations, kitchenware, home accessories and wall/floor… more
Dec 04, 2011
The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has outlined a three-phase plan in the wake of the country’s flood crisis to boost the recovery of the MICE industry in 2012. The bureau is targeting to revive the industry to pre-crisis levels before the third quarter of 2012 after consultations with key industry players. TCEB will propose the remedial plan to the Thai Government, which started in October 2011 and will last until March 2012. The first phase involves urgent measures implemented in October that assists MICE travellers by establishing a one-stop coordination centre… more
Dec 04, 2011
The number of overall MICE participants in Macau reached 507,661 in the third quarter – a jump of 39 percent, compared with the same time year. A total of 236 MICE events took place in the third quarter, down by 87 events year-on-year according to the latest numbers from territory’s Statistics and Census Service (DSEC). The DSEC reported 52 percent of all MICE events held fall into the “commerce, trade & technology” category. Fifteen of the 236 events were exhibitions – attracting 483,934 attendees, which accounted for 95 percent of the quarter’s… more
Dec 04, 2011
The 110th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) concluded earlier this month. According to the fair’s organiser, China Foreign Trade Centre, around US$38 billion worth of business was generated during the three-week fair marking the 10-year anniversary of China’s accession of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The 55-year-old fair was held Oct. 15- Nov. 4 in three phases at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou. This edition featured more than 58,000 booths more than 1,160,000 square meters of exhibition space, and attracted 24,231 exhibitors and 209,175… more
Dec 03, 2011
While many home, garden and construction-related trade shows still are struggling to pick up steam and return to pre-recessionary growth, the International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo enjoyed a second consecutive year of increases in attendee and exhibitor participation. Held Nov. 2-4 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, the annual trade show and conference for the pool, spa and backyard industry drew 9,717 attendees and 484 exhibitors to a 122,250 square foot showfloor, according to show officials. Last year, the event attracted 9,255 attendees and 459 exhibitors spanning… more
Nov 30, 2011
The Center for Exhibition Industry’s CEIR Index showed that trade shows continued to buck overall negative economic trends in the third quarter, with 2.6-percent growth in all four key metrics tracked in the report, compared with the same quarter in 2010. Trade show growth in the third quarter of this year also beat out the GDP during the same period, which only grew 1.5 percent. In addition, all four key metrics tracked by the CEIR Index – attendance, number of exhibitors, revenues and net square footage - showed positive results on a year-on-year basis and the growth of… more
Nov 27, 2011
The Virtual Edge Institute’s Virtual Edge Summit 2012, on tap Jan. 9-11 at the San Diego Convention Center, has unveiled a robust education program on everything a show organizer needs to know on virtual and hybrid events, with 80 speakers and 30 sessions. The theme of the summit, “Accelerate: knowledge. strategy. results”, will focus on presenting digital solutions for meetings, events, learning, training and community and feature speakers from companies such as 3M, Cisco Systems, Herbalife, HIMSS, IBM, Intel Corporation, Microsoft, VMWare, and Xerox. The summit runs… more
Nov 27, 2011
Once a year in the United States, people connected to the amusement parks industry come from far and wide to check out what’s new at the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions’ Attractions Expo. This year’s event ran Nov. 14-18 at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center, and it saw a 5-percent increase to 15,300 attendees, compared with 14,600 attendees at the 2010 event. “The results for IAAPA Attractions Expo 2011 surpassed our expectations on several fronts,” said IAAPA President and CEO Chip Cleary. He added, “… more
Nov 27, 2011
Individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the exhibitions and events industry have been named by the International Association of Exhibitions & Events and will be feted at the organization’s upcoming Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition Dec. 6-8 in Las Vegas. The IAEE Individual Awards winners includes Gary Sain, president and CEO of Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, who will receive Chariman’s Award, given to someone whose assistance to the IAEE chairman has been meritorious. Recipients are recognized for going… more
Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”  These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city. Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.