November, 2024

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Top Trends for Meetings: Attendees Want Warm Weather, More LeisureĀ 

Skift Meetings

Skift Take: A recent Cvent webinar revealed top trends for meetings, including choosing booking patterns that allow attendees to extend over a weekend and warm-weather destinations so they can be outdoors.

Trends 103
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Refract Seattle: The Power of Connecting Events to Local Community

Smart Meetings

Get involved with local events like Refract Seattle to create unforgettable experiences for your attendees Since its inception, what is now the largest glass arts festival in North America draws visitors to Seattle from all over the world, and the somewhat niche community of glass artists, appreciators and collectors take over the city for an October weekend each year.

Events 246
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Business events in Stuttgart: hotels, unique venues, experiences, sustainability

The MICE Blog

Everyone knows Stuttgart as the birthplace of mobility and a powerhouse in the automotive industry. But thereā€™s much more to this dynamic destination. Stuttgart is constantly evolving, offering a unique setting for hosting business events. In this blog post, Iā€™ll showcase the unique opportunities Stuttgart offers for your event, from hotels and venues to experiences, all with sustainability woven into the event planning process.

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2024 KTIA Annual Conference Recap

Advanced Travel and Tourism

Kentucky is more than just bourbon and horses. The fine folks at Visit Northen Kentucky in conjunction with the Kentucky Tourism Industry Association showed that fact off in style last week at their annual conference. What were the top takeaways from the conference? We asked our man on the ground in Kentucky, Andrew Held, to help answer that question.

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COVID-19 Travel Consumer Sentiment Study

TravelBoom and sister agency, The Brandon Agency, release new consumer sentiment study on travel amidst the COVID-19 second wave

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Europeā€™s travel sector shows strong performance in Q3 despite inflationary pressures

ETC Corporate

The European tourism sector demonstrates a robust performance, surpassing pre-pandemic figures and showcasing resilience despite economic headwinds and geopolitical challenges. The latest research from the European Travel Commission (ETC) highlights a 6% rise in foreign arrivals over 2019 levels and a 7% increase in year-on-year growth.

Travel 250
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All Signs Point to Growing Incentives & Meetings Business in 2025; You Can Still Reap the Benefits at Your Company

Motivation Excellence

Recent industry forecasts and surveys indicate corporate meetings, events and incentives will grow in 2025. According to the Incentive Travel Index 37% of respondents say 2025 levels will surpass 2024; 54% expect the spend-per-person to increase too. At Motivation Excellence, we continue to see interest in planning something in 2025, even though itā€™s less than a month away.

More Trending

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Events in 2025: Creating a Foundation of Connection

Smart Meetings

Imagine crafting an event like preparing a Thanksgiving dinner, where every ingredient, every dish, and every seat at the table has been considered with intention and care. Today, the events industry is cooking up something differentā€”a transformation fueled by deeper human connection, inclusivity, and a touch of technological magic. Just as a homemade meal draws us together in a celebration of our shared stories and individuality, events in 2025 will bring people together in ways that honor the

Events 264
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Holograms Beam into Events

Smart Meetings

Hologram technology can increase engagement and attract hard-to-get speakers Meetings may be a mostly in-person experience butā€”as we learned during Covid, with the use of Zoom, Teams and other online video platformsā€”the use of communications technology has its place in the world of meetings and events. A more sophisticated form of communications technology to shift the way we meet and interact at events are holograms, walking a fine line between in-person and video communication.

Events 246
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New and Renovated: For Meetings in Postcard Cities

Smart Meetings

These properties make it easy to gather among views remember Those amazing landscapes that you see on postcards? They look oh-so-much better from a floor-to-ceiling meeting room window. To get yourself and your attendees there, you just have to find your perfect postcard city and then make the booking. These new and renovated properties are the way to make it happen, whether youā€™re searching for big city energy or a quiet home base.

Meeting 246
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3 Extreme Accessibility Experts Share Their Accommodation Mandates

Smart Meetings

Designing accessible events topped almost all meetings industry event agendas in 2024, but few planners understand what is required to make everyone feel welcome even as equal access moves from the desired to the required column in their job descriptions. Most meeting professionals manage the needs of a small subset of attendees who require food, wheelchair access, sound, language or sensory accommodations.

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Evolution of the DMC:Renewing Business Relationships with Deeper Trust, Transparency & Understanding

The evolution of the DMC industry requires that it embark upon a renewed relationship with clients that is built upon transparency, trust, and understanding.

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New and Renovated: Your Ultimate Cabin Retreat

Smart Meetings

Bring your attendees to a beautiful cabin for an unforgettable incentive So, youā€™re planning an incentive. Lucky for you, these new and renovated properties offer a beautiful cabin setting rich with fun recreation, decadent dining and gorgeous gathering spaces to give your event that complete once-in-a-lifetime feel. Read More: Company Retreat Planning 101: 8 Elements for a Great One For Gorgeous Gatherings in Georgia Barnsley Resort, guest room Adairsville, GAā€™s Barnsley Resort is a jewel of So

Retreat 246
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New and Renovated: Discover a Meetings Mecca

Smart Meetings

Exciting refreshes in sought-after destinations Wherever you go, there you areā€”especially if that place is a meetings mecca like Washington, D.C., Miami or Las Vegas. These exciting new and renovated properties are not only easily, abundantly Instagrammable; they provide the kind of sought-after experience in sought-after destinations that make for unmatched meetings.

Meeting 238
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Case Study: The Art of Crafting Holiday Magic

Smart Meetings

Tips for crafting a multiday holiday event When I first sat down with Mariela Murphy, CMP, special events director for Amelia Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, for dinner during my recent trip to Amelia Island, Florida, I was immediately captivated by her excitement and vision for the holiday event Dickens on Centre. For those unfamiliar, Dickens on Centre is an annual event celebrating its 10th year in 2024.

Vendor 237
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Smart Moves at Destinations International, Fairmont Dallas and More

Smart Meetings

Lauren Shoaf Pace Lauren Shoaf Pace, Destinations International Pace is appointed vice president of marketing at Destinations International (DI). With nearly 20 years in the travel and tourism industry, Pace has held positions at numerous destination organizations at both the state and local levels and spent over a decade with Visit Florida. In her role with DI, Pace will be responsible for the strategic development and implementation of all of the associationā€™s marketing initiatives.

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Employee Spotlight: Christy Betz

Advanced Travel and Tourism

Christy Betz is next up for our employee spotlight series. She is responsible for all things Tennessee tourism and we love having her on the team. Find out a little more about her below. How much experience do you have in the travel space? I’ve been passionate about the tourism industry for the past 5 years, beginning my journey with the Eastern Shore of VA Tourism Commission from 2019 to 2023.

Tourism 231
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Event Leaders Share Their Gratitude Practices

Smart Meetings

I am grateful every day for the busy hospitality leaders who take the time to share their success secrets with the Smart Meetings Community on the What One Thing? podcast. I have learned so much this year about everything from relationships to the power of persistence and what the next generation of event prof needs to stay engaged. I asked these event thought leaders for their approach to gratitude during the holiday season and all year long.

Events 246
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Events Industry Council Releases 2024 Q2 Report

Smart Meetings

Strong gains indicate a return to pre-pandemic stability Global business events entity Events Industry Council (EIC) has released its Global Events Barometer for the second quarter of 2024, with results showing positive growth in nearly every region around the world. The hotel group room nights index rose to 106, showing a return to 2019 levels. The RFP activity index, which measures the number of proposals sent by event planners during the quarter, increased to just shy of 2019 levels as well.

Proposal 242
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Sustainable Event Planning: Action Steps to Lasting Strategy

Smart Meetings

Becoming a sustainable event planner is a marathon, not a sprint. As the events industry continues to evolve in its sustainability journey, there are a lot of accomplishments to celebrate. Planners, partners and attendees are more aware and invested than ever. But thereā€™s no denying that sustainability is a very broad topic, and sometimes, you might feel left in the dust.

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Refract Seattle: The Power of Connecting Events to Local Community

Smart Meetings

Get involved with local events like Refract Seattle to create unforgettable experiences for your attendees Since its inception, what is now the largest glass arts festival in North America draws visitors to Seattle from all over the world, and the somewhat niche community of glass artists, appreciators and collectors take over the city for an October weekend each year.

Events 130
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Case Study: CVB Partnership Amplifies Impact at Lenovo Tech World 2024

Smart Meetings

Events take a village. By working with Visit Bellevue, the planners for Lenovo Tech World 2024 show the transformative power of partnership. Lenovo Tech World is the global technology companyā€™s annual event, and as events at this level go, itā€™s an enormous undertaking for the planners organizing it. After the 2023 event in Austin, the planners from Event Strategy Group (ESG) looked towards the Pacific Northwest for the 2024 gathering, ā€œSmarter AI for All.

Planner 130
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Refract Seattle: The Power of Connecting Events to Local Community

Smart Meetings

Get involved with local events like Refract Seattle to create unforgettable experiences for your attendees Since its inception, what is now the largest glass arts festival in North America draws visitors to Seattle from all over the world, and the somewhat niche community of glass artists, appreciators and collectors take over the city for an October weekend each year.

Events 130
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Refract Seattle: The Power of Connecting Events to Local Community

Smart Meetings

Get involved with local events like Refract Seattle to create unforgettable experiences for your attendees Since its inception, what is now the largest glass arts festival in North America draws visitors to Seattle from all over the world, and the somewhat niche community of glass artists, appreciators and collectors take over the city for an October weekend each year.

Events 130
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Case Study: CVB Partnership Amplifies Impact at Lenovo Tech World 2024

Smart Meetings

Events take a village. By working with Visit Bellevue, the planners for Lenovo Tech World 2024 show the transformative power of partnership. Lenovo Tech World is the global technology companyā€™s annual event, and as events at this level go, itā€™s an enormous undertaking for the planners organizing it. After the 2023 event in Austin, the planners from Event Strategy Group (ESG) looked towards the Pacific Northwest for the 2024 gathering, ā€œSmarter AI for All.

Planner 130
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Refract Seattle: The Power of Connecting Events to Local Community

Smart Meetings

Get involved with local events like Refract Seattle to create unforgettable experiences for your attendees Since its inception, what is now the largest glass arts festival in North America draws visitors to Seattle from all over the world, and the somewhat niche community of glass artists, appreciators and collectors take over the city for an October weekend each year.

Events 130
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New and Renovated: For Meetings in Postcard Cities

Smart Meetings

These properties make it easy to gather among views remember Those amazing landscapes that you see on postcards? They look oh-so-much better from a floor-to-ceiling meeting room window. To get yourself and your attendees there, you just have to find your perfect postcard city and then make the booking. These new and renovated properties are the way to make it happen, whether youā€™re searching for big city energy or a quiet home base.

Meeting 130
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Refract Seattle: The Power of Connecting Events to Local Community

Smart Meetings

Get involved with local events like Refract Seattle to create unforgettable experiences for your attendees Since its inception, what is now the largest glass arts festival in North America draws visitors to Seattle from all over the world, and the somewhat niche community of glass artists, appreciators and collectors take over the city for an October weekend each year.

Events 130
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Refract Seattle: The Power of Connecting Events to Local Community

Smart Meetings

Get involved with local events like Refract Seattle to create unforgettable experiences for your attendees Since its inception, what is now the largest glass arts festival in North America draws visitors to Seattle from all over the world, and the somewhat niche community of glass artists, appreciators and collectors take over the city for an October weekend each year.

Events 130
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Refract Seattle: The Power of Connecting Events to Local Community

Smart Meetings

Get involved with local events like Refract Seattle to create unforgettable experiences for your attendees Since its inception, what is now the largest glass arts festival in North America draws visitors to Seattle from all over the world, and the somewhat niche community of glass artists, appreciators and collectors take over the city for an October weekend each year.

Events 130
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Refract Seattle: The Power of Connecting Events to Local Community

Smart Meetings

Get involved with local events like Refract Seattle to create unforgettable experiences for your attendees Since its inception, what is now the largest glass arts festival in North America draws visitors to Seattle from all over the world, and the somewhat niche community of glass artists, appreciators and collectors take over the city for an October weekend each year.

Events 130
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Refract Seattle: The Power of Connecting Events to Local Community

Smart Meetings

Get involved with local events like Refract Seattle to create unforgettable experiences for your attendees Since its inception, what is now the largest glass arts festival in North America draws visitors to Seattle from all over the world, and the somewhat niche community of glass artists, appreciators and collectors take over the city for an October weekend each year.

Events 130
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NCBMP 2024 Brought History, Culture and Education to Alabama

Smart Meetings

The Coalitionā€™s 41st convention emphasized strength and resilience National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP) held its 41st annual convention in Birmingham, Alabama, at Sheraton Birmingham Hotel and Westin Birmingham Hotel Nov. 13-16. This yearā€™s theme, Strength and Resilience, was an acknowledgement that the 2024 elections and the resulting shifts in DEI legislation would engender tension among attendees, says Jason Dunn, executive director at NCBMP.

Education 246
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Case Study: CVB Partnership Amplifies Impact at Lenovo Tech World 2024

Smart Meetings

Events take a village. By working with Visit Bellevue, the planners for Lenovo Tech World 2024 show the transformative power of partnership. Lenovo Tech World is the global technology companyā€™s annual event, and as events at this level go, itā€™s an enormous undertaking for the planners organizing it. After the 2023 event in Austin, the planners from Event Strategy Group (ESG) looked towards the Pacific Northwest for the 2024 gathering, ā€œSmarter AI for All.

Planner 130
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Case Study: CVB Partnership Amplifies Impact at Lenovo Tech World 2024

Smart Meetings

Events take a village. By working with Visit Bellevue, the planners for Lenovo Tech World 2024 show the transformative power of partnership. Lenovo Tech World is the global technology companyā€™s annual event, and as events at this level go, itā€™s an enormous undertaking for the planners organizing it. After the 2023 event in Austin, the planners from Event Strategy Group (ESG) looked towards the Pacific Northwest for the 2024 gathering, ā€œSmarter AI for All.

Planner 130
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Refract Seattle: The Power of Connecting Events to Local Community

Smart Meetings

Get involved with local events like Refract Seattle to create unforgettable experiences for your attendees Since its inception, what is now the largest glass arts festival in North America draws visitors to Seattle from all over the world, and the somewhat niche community of glass artists, appreciators and collectors take over the city for an October weekend each year.

Events 130
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Case Study: CVB Partnership Amplifies Impact at Lenovo Tech World 2024

Smart Meetings

Events take a village. By working with Visit Bellevue, the planners for Lenovo Tech World 2024 show the transformative power of partnership. Lenovo Tech World is the global technology companyā€™s annual event, and as events at this level go, itā€™s an enormous undertaking for the planners organizing it. After the 2023 event in Austin, the planners from Event Strategy Group (ESG) looked towards the Pacific Northwest for the 2024 gathering, ā€œSmarter AI for All.