All posts by Coastal Communications

If ever an industry appeared perfectly suited to provoking sexual harassment, it would be meetings and events. The jury is still out on whether tweaking events can eliminate sexual harassment incidents — maybe that’s too easy of a fix. But if the better answer is communication and education, is the meeting industry providing that support?

Time is the most valuable asset to everyone, particularly meeting planners in the business events industry. Make time for yourself and work friends with that winter downtime. Otherwise, before you know it, finding time for yourself and others will be scarce. ILEA is providing tips for planners for the new year ahead.

Unnecessary travel costs drain your bottom line. The importance of getting your startup’s travel expenses under control cannot be overstated. If you don’t sort it out, it could become a big drain on not just your bottom line but also on the overall efficiency of the organization. With these four tips, you’ll be well on your way to saving money and time without missing any important meetings.

As major hotel groups across the United States have cut third-party planner commissions to seven percent, properties in Reno will remain at 10 percent, according to the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA). All resorts included in The Row, a mega-resort destination in downtown Reno, will continue to offer 10 percent commissions to third-party planners.

Karen Kotowski, who has served as CEO of the Events Industry Council (EIC) for the past 10 years, has tendered her resignation. With this change in leadership, EIC has initiated a search for a new CEO. This comes at a time when the EIC is working on enhancing its value offerings, extending the CMP program globally, expanding its educational programming and increasing its focus on sustainable events.

Event planners are being tasked with producing more events with limited resources. Better technology can help maximize their marketing efforts, but word of mouth remains the most effective at attracting attendees to an event. Despite budgetary limitations, the sign of a successful event is considered strong attendance and positive feedback rather than a strong return on investment.

The reimagined hotel features a brand-new Orchid Tower filled with spacious guest rooms, doubling the resort’s occupancy. The resort’s standout interior design took inspiration from Miami’s art-deco history, presenting clean, geometric lines and simple, sophisticated details. Phase I and II of the re-build will roll out early this year and will conclude by Spring.

Shifting your mindset from adversity to ambition isn’t an easy thing to do, but during PCMA Convening Leaders opening main stage, executive Steve Pemberton and social activist Nadya Okamoto say it’s not impossible. Leading the discussion on overcoming adversity and turning strife into testimonies, the morning keynote set the tone for a day of learning.

All three panelists on stage at PCMA Convening Leaders outlined the scope of the related problems of homelessness with grim statistics. More than 550,000 people are homeless in the U.S., and more than 200,000 sleep outside or in places that are unfit for human habitation nightly. The session was focused not just on the issues, but on solutions coming from the business events industry.

With more than 175 events a year, the iconic Javits Center is so popular that some international and national shows simply cannot come to New York because there are no available dates in a given year. The addition of more than one million square feet to the convention center is not enough to meet the industry demands New York faces each year.