Give your meeting The Tampa Bay Effect
Sponsored by Visit Tampa Bay
Claire Hoffman
Claire Hoffman is an award-winning writer, editor, and B2B content creator who specializes in the event, meeting, experiential marketing, and hospitality industries.
Sarah Kloepple
Sarah Kloepple is the deputy editor of TSNN's sister publication BizBash. She has been covering the meetings and events industry for six years.
5 New Reasons to Love MGM Resorts in Las Vegas
Sponsored by MGM Resorts
The Newly Expanded Colorado Convention Center
Sponsored by VISIT DENVER
Maybe your next meeting just needs a few meeting areas. Maybe it needs a large,
open room. Maybe it doesn’t need a room at all, but a space with open air and
sunshine. Whatever you need, you’ll find it at the newly expanded Colorado
Convention Center! Say hello to more than 130,000 square feet of new space to
meet, greet, and network, now open and available for booking your next event.
Marcus McConnell
Marcus McConnell is the CEO of Sticker Mountain. Headquartered in Denver, Sticker Mountain specializes in high-quality sticker and label printing for commercial businesses.
The Tech Revolution: Transforming the Event Industry
Sponsored by Fern Expo
A Look at Technology Advancements Reshaping Event Management
By Jim Kelley, VP Marketing and Industry Relations, Fern Expo
Doug Emslie
Doug Emslie has been in the events industry for more than 30 years. For 25 years he was CEO of Tarsus Group, which was sold to Informa in 2023. He is now Chairman of Cuil Bay Capital (CBC), an investment company that helps entrepreneurs scale their media businesses, which owns Raccoon Media Group, organizer of the Boston Run Show and the Boston Outdoor Show. Emslie also runs The Cuil Bay Foundation, which promotes healthy and active lifestyles for young people.
Shannon Thaler
Shannon Thaler is a contributing writer for Informa Connect's portfolio of meetings-focused brands, including BizBash, Corporate Event News and TSNN. She has also worked as a business reporter for the The New York Post and the Daily Mail.
Rick Farrell
Rick Farrell, President of PlantTours, is North America’s foremost expert in improving manufacturing group communication, education, training and group hospitality processes. With more than 40 years of group hospitality experience, he has provided consulting services with the majority of Fortune 500 industrial corporations, improving group communication dynamics of all types in manufacturing environments.
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.