IMEX America in Las Vegas returned to pre-Covid numbers this week. An expanded exposition floor at Mandalay Bay Convention Center was brimming with activity Tuesday as an estimated 12,000 people flowed through hosted buyer appointments, education sessions and nearly 400 booths representing more than 180 countries, venues, technology vendors and suppliers. Many of those companies enlarged their presence in the first year that International visitors were back in substantial numbers. And almost a third were new since 2021.

Smart Meetings team at IMEX booth

Highlights included experiential activations designed to inspire what comes next in designing better meetings. Encore Global hosted “Break Free, a journey of transformation” which invited guests to take part in an interactive survey focused on the sustainability efforts at IMEX while touching all the senses in a dramatic LED-enhanced space. And Marriott partnered with Google on The NEU Project to pioneer ways to design more neuro-diverse-friendly events.

Download “Pathways to Clarity” a joint IMEX, Smart Meetings White Paper outlining the state of the meetings industry.

The Smart Meetings team was on the expo floor getting updates and sharing snapshots of the action.

A Brighter, Faster Mandalay Bay

Mandalay Bay Convention Center announced plans for a $100 million remodel of its 2.1 million-square-foot convention center. In phase one, Cat6A Ethernet cabling doubled the frequency of data transmission and increases the speed up to 9,400%—the equivalent of downloading a 4K movie in 30 seconds. A total of 11 new digital walls will enhance communication. RFID locks on meeting room doors and 200 new motion-detection cameras will enhance security. And a bright, tropical design freshened the halls and meeting spaces.


Next up will be a renovation of Four Seasons Las Vegas inspired by the Mojave Desert and enhancements to popular restaurant outlets, including the addition of a private dining room to Strip Steak.

DEI Task Force Marks Starting Point for Improvements

Events Industry Council (EIC) in partnership with its global EIC Equity Task Force, released the results of its 2022 Equity Benchmarking Study at an IMEX press conference. The survey reveals widespread DEI dissatisfaction amongst event professionals, minority groups, and women. While there is an ever-growing awareness and commitment toward equity, survey scores indicate DEI efforts are largely in principal but not in practice. It found:

  • Employed event professionals are significantly more dissatisfied with DEI in the industry than those who are self-employed or have alternative employment types.
  • 61% of all surveyed event professionals identified as White and are predominant across all job grades, with minimal representation from other ethnicities, especially in senior management (15% Black) and board (6% Black) positions.
  • Respondents who identify as Black (16%) rated their DEI experience 11% lower across all four dimensions than respondents who identified as White.
  • More than 75% of respondents identified as female, and they are well-represented in managerial and senior roles. Six out of 10 (61%) female respondents are in ‘Senior Management’ and ‘Board’ job grades, yet they rated their DEI experience significantly lower than male respondents (21%).


“Dismal Black and Brown representation within the events industry presents barriers to diversity and inclusion in leadership and influential positions needed to impact change,” said Jason Dunn, Sr., EIC Equity Task Force Co-Chair and Past Chairman of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals.

The benchmarking study is Phase One of EIC’s Equity Acceleration Plan. Phase Two includes a leadership workshop to review the study and shape resources and deliverables for the benefit of EIC membership.

Events Industry Council to Update CMP Criteria

A soon-to-be-launched EIC survey will survey new skills, knowledge, and tasks required for Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation accreditation as a step toward updating the blueprint for the certification. “Already through the focus groups, we are seeing new skills and competencies that are coming out of that that now need to be built in,” said EIC Chair Cathy Breden, who is also executive vice president and chief operating officer at IAEE. She added that reference and resource materials will be updated to meet demand. There are currently just over 12,000 CMPs around the world.

In addition, EIC is launching a new corporate membership program to bring corporate industry partners to the table to better represent the full spectrum of the business. “It was important to us that their voices are being heard and that they’re a part of how EIC champions things and advocates and leads, says Sherrif Karamat, CEO of Professional Convention Management Association and EIC chair-elect.

Fontainebleau Previews New Miami Beach, Las Vegas Properties

Image of the Grand Ballroom at Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
The Grand Ballroom at Fontainebleau Miami Beach

Fontainebleau Development offered a glimpse of the new 50,000-square-foot stand-alone events center at Fontainebleau Miami Beach. The project is scheduled to open in 2025 and will complement the existing 200,000 sq. ft. at the iconic resort. “At this new conference center, there are no restaurants, says Director of Group Sales Louis Gonzales.

“It is truly a stand-alone event center space,” says Gonzales, adding that the events center will also include an 18,000-square-foot ballroom, a 9,000-square-foot ballroom, pre-function space, all topped off with a 9,000-square-foot rooftop deck with stunning views of the waterway and Biscayne Bay. “It will be a state-of-the-art building on the technology forefront, with a modern design with a take on what’s already famous about Fontainebleau,” Gonzales says. The new building was designed in keeping with the original aesthetic in mind, which was originally designed by Morris Lapidus.

Fontainebleau will also be opening a Las Vegas location in 2023, boasting 550,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, including a 105,000 sq. ft. ballroom, a 90,000-square-foot theater, a 25,000-square-foot Meridian Garden, 57 meeting spaces, 3,700 guest rooms and 27 different food and beverage outlets on the 25-acre property, soon to be announced.

Jamaica Tourist Board Announced New Airline Service

Jamaica Tourist Board Director of Tourism Donovan White shared his optimism about the outlook for the meetings industry in the country at a press conference and announced, new airline service from key markets. Starting in February 2023, Frontier Airlines is adding three new non-stop flights to Montego Bay (MBJ) from the airline’s hub in Denver (DEN), Chicago-Midway (MDW) and St. Louis (STL).

This new service provides even greater connectivity to and from the west and northwest regions of the United States for Jamaica. Traveling to Jamaica has been even easier after the island removed all Covid-related entry requirements in April 2022. Plus, air connectivity to the island continues to be bolstered by new services.

In the capitol city of Kingston, a multi-billion dollar 4-year redevelopment is underway at the Jamaica Conference Centre. Its lobby renovation is slated to be complete in December 2022. Set adjacent to the Conference Centre, the 168-room ROK Hotel Kingston, a Tapestry Collection by Hilton property, opened in July 2022 featuring 6 meeting rooms and spacious public areas for events.


More than 8,000 new rooms are scheduled to be constructed within the next 2-5 years. These include a 2,000-room Princess Hotel, the 260-room Sandals Dunn’s River resort and a third RIU hotel with 700 rooms, all providing additional meeting space. Further, groundbreaking is being planned for the 2,000-room Hard Rock Hotel along with several other properties and the renovations at Couples San Souci are on track for completion by December 2023.

The country has hosted a number of large-scale events since reopening in June 2020. Jamaica recently served as the host destination for the International Board of Directors Meeting of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) Global.

“It really demonstrates clearly that Jamaica’s travel industry is truly resilient and is on the cusp of a full recovery from the pandemic,” said White.

Orlando Launches Inspirational Umbrella Campaign

Visit Orlando launched a new destination brand to promote the Orlando region to the meetings and conventions market. The new “Unbelievably Real” will promote the city’s healthy meeting program, transportation advancements, and award-winning dining to all audiences, including leisure travelers, businesses and groups, reflecting the increased bleisure trend.

A shift from renaming the business services team to the experiences team will better define the consultative role the destination is taking in helping meeting professionals leverage the wide range of assets to enhance meetings. That includes the city’s diverse cultural offerings and 6,000 restaurants of all types now honored with Michelin Guide status.

“Unbelievably Real combines what is both fantastical and authentic about our unique destination to tell a holistic story to leisure visitors and meeting planners, site selectors, residents and prospective talent,” Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando.

 New York City Reports Attendance Rebound

NYC & Company reported at IMEX that the destination expects to recover 85% of its record 2019 visitation, welcoming 56.7 million visitors by the end of 2022.  Strong demand for meetings, conventions and events in the city continues with an anticipated 800,000 group room nights on the books through the end of this year; and the Javits Center is experiencing a resurgence of events with a 14 percent increase in bookings from September through December, over the same period last year.

“Last year’s IMEX America was unique as it aligned with the reopening of U.S. borders. Now, one year later, we are pleased to say that New York City’s meetings industry is right on track. With a busy conventions and events calendar still ahead this fall, and hotel performance consistently trending above 85% occupancy once again and more than 10,000 new rooms in the pipeline, we are confident in the continued comeback of the business travel sector,” said Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company.

Wyndham Expands Meeting Collection

Wyndham Meetings CollectionWyndham Hotels & Resorts announced the global expansion of The Meetings Collection, which now includes over 160 hotels and resorts across the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The program launched last year with eight properties and the opportunity to earn loyalty points, multi-meeting discounts, enhanced flexibility (up to 30% group attrition with no penalty), streamlined contracting and access to fun turnkey experiences.

“Over the last several years, Wyndham has continued adding to an already robust portfolio of aspirational hotels and resorts, introducing new offerings in some of the world’s most popular and sought-after destinations,” said Carol Lynch, senior vice president, Global Sales, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. “This growth, combined with the continued recovery of group travel, make now the right time to expand The Meetings Collection globally.”

IMEX 2022 concluded its 11th American run Thursday following a thunderous return with over 12,000 people in attendance at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, a 45% increase over last year’s event due to pandemic travel restrictions.

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) powered Smart Monday and morning keynotes as part of a 20-year partnership that was formally extended through 2025. More than 1,600 people participated in MPI education over the course of the event. Additionally, MPI Foundation raised $400,000 through Caesars Entertainment-sponsored Rendezvous and a silent auction.

Download “Pathways to Clarity” a joint IMEX, Smart Meetings White Paper outlining the state of the meetings industry.

The “Pathways to Clarity” theme carried throughout with numerous exhibitors, suppliers and presenters focusing on sustainable practices while many emphasized the importance of inclusion and mental wellness through design within the events, tourism and hospitality industries.

“We were doing sustainability before anyone thought it was remotely interesting because we thought it was the right thing to do,” said IMEX CEO Carina Bauer. “From our A Voice for All program on Smart Monday, to Google Experience Institute’s NEU Project, we’re all invited to understand that events, and event designs, have excluded too many people for too long. Not only does the data show that belonging is good for business, but as designers we also need to do a better job of not asking people to leave their lived experience at the doors when they come to our events.”

Immersive Experiences Illustrate Importance of Breaking Free from Conventional

Presented by Encore, the immersive “Break Free” experience guided participants through an interactive exhibit allowing people to question current sustainability practices, both within their own organizations and across the industry, while connecting with other participants on the topics of waste reduction, alternative energy and supply chain management.

Read highlights from Day 1 and 2 of IMEX America 2022.

“When we first engaged with IMEX, we didn’t want to show up like every other company,” said Event Experience Strategy Director Anthony Vade, CED. Vade added that Encore’s goal of hosting an exhibit at this year’s event was to create something unique to highlight the theme of sustainability using the company’s event canvas methodology, one of Encore’s primary tools in designing events for their clients.

Each participant was provided with a tablet, which was used to scan QR codes on human-sized projected images. The links pushed discussion questions to the screen for crowdsourced conversation on the self-selected topic. “We started doing a lot of stakeholder discovery to find what the industry needs and whom do we need to interface with and how can we bring the sustainability conversation to this community in a more impactful, more emotional way,” Vade said.

The next step on the journey was a multisensory room that surrounded participants in fog, transformed the space into a forest before their eyes and injected a woody smell into the air as a demonstration of the power of thoughtful audiovisual (AV) activation.

Encore President and CEO Ben Erwin explained that as the AV provider of choice at the majority of U.S. venues, Encore has expertise in all types of activations and can scale even the most elaborate productions to meet the budget and goals of a specific group. “Even though we are usually behind the scenes working the lights and sound, we put people front and center and want to be embedded in the customer team so wherever you go, the onsite crew has the benefit of every interaction you have had over the years,” he said.

Best Practices in Mental Wellness and Mindfulness Put into Motion Through Design

As the three-day event buzzed with bustling crowds of attendees excited to experience the full-force return of IMEX, some organizations made it their priority to provide people with a place to decompress, re-center or simply sit to enjoy a moment of relative quiet in a comfortable setting.

Holly Duckworth, CEO of Leadership Solutions, curated the “Be Well Lounge” with principles based on secular neuroscience quartered at an adjacent meeting space near the event’s main exhibition hall. Prior to the start of the IMEX tradeshow, Duckworth hosted the “Travel Stress Reduction Wellness Experience” focused on providing attendees with elements to support mental wellness during Smart Monday, presented by MPI.

The Be Well Lounge hosted 45 meditation sessions over the course of the trade show within a dimly lit setting, ensconced within cloud-like, inflated domes with comfortable seating providing “mindfulness through action,” according to Duckworth. “Mindfulness matters because it creates calm, it creates more positive thought processes and allows us to feel refreshed,” Duckworth said, adding, “it brings us the greater ability to experience focus and it also allows us to improve our concentration in a world of 24/7 where we’re being pulled in a thousand directions.”

A Welcoming Setting with Comfy Seats Provide an Oasis in a Desert

CORT Events partnered with IMEX Group to provide the necessary elements of a relaxing setting throughout the event with a distinctive nature theme, including a massive lounge area, centrally located on the trade show floor, featuring couches and other furniture that can be branded with custom covers.


“We really wanted to bring a nature theme and create a comfortable sanctuary on the tradeshow floor for anyone, it doesn’t matter if you’re a buyer or press member or even the CEO of a meetings industry business, we just wanted to provide a comfortable space where you can catch up, network, take a zoom call,” said Stephanie Byrd, marketing manager at CORT Events. She  added that attendees naturally gathered in the lounge during cocktail hour on Tuesday and Wednesday, facilitating a sense of community at the event.

The lounge featured faux plants and hedgerows, creating a relaxing aesthetic with a nature theme throughout. The furnishings also allowed CORT Events to showcase the wide variety of options included in their inventory and the versatility meeting producers have when crafting a unique event, “incorporating some really fun elements that help put people at ease,” she said.

Even before most of the 12,000 attendees from this year’s IMEX America in Las Vegas unpacked their suitcases, the IMEX Group was already planning for 2023 at the renovated Mandalay Bay Convention Center where upgrades to restaurants and connected hotels will join the recently refreshed 2.1 million sq. ft. of convention center space and upgraded data infrastructure.

Smart Meetings debriefed with Tahira Endean, head of program with IMEX Group, about what worked and what will be changed for next year.

A Focused Approach

“We are always planning for next year,” Endean said. The author of “Intentional Event Design” joined the IMEX team in June after leaving SITE Global where she was head of events for more than three years, to pursue a master’s degree in creativity and change leadership. “I enjoy figuring out what is next.”

headshot of tahira endean
Tahira Endean

That was when she got the call to join the IMEX Group team. Even though she wasn’t looking for another job, she was already embedded in the culture. “I have been to every IMEX America since it began in 2011,” she recalled. Her role varied, however, including exhibitor, tech provider, speaker and tour guide. She has been to four IMEX Frankfurt shows in Europe and took on her most recent title while there in the summer of 2022. “I Iove how IMEX has always been forward-thinking, action-oriented and brought new ideas to the industry,” she said.

Her job was to execute on the content in the Inspiration Hub. As the team looked at what worked in Germany and where the world was with a staggered reopening, the decision was made to streamline the nine tracks down to four and hyperfocus on what the industry needs right now. “We wanted to create a tool kit of things meeting professionals needed to know in 2022,” she said.

The umbrella term Pathways to Clarity honored the uncertain journey meeting professionals are on now and settled into these four areas: Respect for People and Planet (DEI, sustainability, CSR); Future Self (personal and professional development, listening, coaching, emotional intelligence); Innovation and Creativity (inspirational design and event tech); Event Planner Toolkit (strategies for live, virtual and hybrid meetings, contracting and set-up).

Learn more about the biggest issues meeting professionals are struggling with in a joint IMEX-Smart Meetings white paper titled, “Clearing the Path” that surveyed planners about diversity, equity and inclusion, sustainability, personal and career development and industry changes.

A Content Mix

The day Endean started, she already had a couple of hundred submissions and about 100 speaking spaces to fill. She prioritized fresh ways of looking at timely issues, starting with the larger topics, such as inclusion. She made a point of putting equity first to make diversity and inclusion possible (hence EDI). That led to conversations around discrimination (David Jaime), personal empowerment (Jennifer Cassetta) and neurodivergent thinking (Megan Henshall). “Those are big topics that will help us move forward,” she said.

The campfires were more dialogue-rich and an opportunity for people to ask tough questions in a smaller forum and bring forward their own ideas.

The Thinkers Hub collected ideas and facilitated discussions around questions such as: “How do we create better-designed, intentional and inclusive meetings?”

Two-minute Moves got people waiting for a session to start to stand up, breathe and move a bit. “It was an experiment to help people feel present and centered rather than on their phones,” Endean said.

Meanwhile, Precious Williams, a 13-time national elevator pitch champion from ABC’s Shark Tank, rode with attendees up the escalator to help them define their approaches, develop confidence around talking to stakeholders and develop their “personal power pitch” in the time it takes to get to the next floor. “She is just a bundle of infections energy and it was a fun new approach,” Endean said.

“Sometimes we want to listen and learn and sometimes we want to contribute,” she observed.

“The idea is to take great speakers and push them in different directions,” she explained. That is why she did the unexpected and asked keynotes Count Me In founder Shane Feldman, Valuegraphics CEO David Allison and Without Maps writer Daniel Scheffler to come together to talk candidly about their love of travel. “Sometimes it is OK to just have a fun conversation,” she said.

New Tools

By the end of the second Thursday in October, 4,000 buyers had donned the red lanyards and 3,300 had attended as part of the hosted buyer program. Endean saw the record attendance as a testament to the desire people have to get back to connecting with each other and have important conversations even when they are busy with their own programs.

On the supplier side, with the world opening up again, international exhibitors returned in force. Many doubled the size of their booths and in total, participation was 45% larger than in 2021, the year the United States lifted restrictions a week before IMEX doors opened.

“I hope people left with a few more tools and the ability to ask better questions about contracts, sustainability, equity or whatever else they came to learn more about,” Endean said.

Pitching for 2023

For anyone thinking they would like to share their insights next October, Endean has some tips. “Ask yourself: ‘What is the content we aren’t seeing at other events? What will the takeaways be?’”

She suggested focusing on transformation. “Learn is not an active verb. Structure your presentation so people leave saying, ‘Huh, I never thought of it that way.’”

And don’t be married to your approach. “Be open to new ideas, including being on a panel. Don’t think of that as being a lesser experience. Think of it as a way to advance your career and make new friends,” she suggested.

 

Day two of IMEX22 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center Las Vegas kicked off with a keynote address by Shane Feldman, founder of Count Me In, who stressed the importance of creating an inclusive experience at meetings. Like many in the audience, he is a frequent flier. “In 2019, I had more airtime than most pilots,” Feldman said, articulating how he learned invaluable lessons in facilitating inclusion through interacting with people from different cultures.

“Always keep your circles open,” he says, noting the Keynote speaker Shane Feldman on stagetendency of attendees to gather in small cliques following presentations and activities during conferences and events. “Across the entire fabric of our world, I have found so many universal strategies that are totally applicable to what we’re doing here in America and truly around the world,” adding that western cultures often miss the mark under the belief that leadership drives community, noting that shifting the focus to relationships is essential in creating a sense of community.

Download “Pathways to Clarity” a joint IMEX, Smart Meetings White Paper outlining the state of the meetings industry.

During a trip to Vietnam, Feldman noticed that circles of acquaintances always left enough space for more people to join, adding that event attendees can engage with one another in a similar fashion through intentional design: how they position themselves in groups. While in South Africa, he became accustomed to the greeting of members of the Zulu Nation, “sawubona,” which translates to “I see you,” with the intent of ensuring the individual knows they have been acknowledged.

While this may seem like a novel gesture, Feldman says that the solution has a connotation of “My whole intention is with you, I want to understand you, your needs, your wants, your joys, your sadness, your fear, your love and understand that thinking,” a practice Feldman says is essential in empowering the individual on many levels.

Read IMEX America 22 Day 1 Updates

That commitment to community was demonstrated on the show floor as Smart Women in Meetings VIP Club members gathered for a toast celebrating their ongoing support to working through change together and lifting one another up.

Destinations International Released New Destination Booking Agreement

On Wednesday, Destinations International released the Destination Booking Agreement (DBA), a new toolkit, establishing mutually agreeable terms to provide accountability to protect both event planners and destinations. The new DBA follows discussions held by Destinations International’s Large Market Roundtable, leading to the conclusion that more cooperation between convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and business and event strategists is needed to maximize success for stakeholders.

“The need for CVBs and business event strategists to come together to create best practices for destination booking agreement guidelines has been an ongoing conversation for our industry,” Don Welsh, president and CEO of Destinations International, says.

“Destinations International’s Large Market Roundtable has done great work to take the lead on this thought leadership that will ultimately our entire industry moving forward,” he added.

New Disney Destination Gatherings Brand Designed to Help Groups Reclaim Lost Time

As groups look to recapture moments, milestones and memories they missed during the past couple of years, Disney Destination Gatherings is bringing together its collection of experiences for groups, from family reunions and weddings to school trips and conventions, under a new brand to help people gather again in meaningful ways.

Disney Destination Gatherings is a collection of businesses that includes Disney Meetings & Events, Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons, and Disney Imagination Campus. All three are distinct yet have gatherings at their core; and all are welcoming back guests as group travel rebounds at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida; Disneyland Resort in California; and Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii; and aboard Disney Cruise Line ships.

“Lost experiences and stolen moments have created a deficit of connections for people during these past two years as many have missed events that cannot be recreated,” explained Javier Moreno, senior vice president of Disney Destinations Sales Solutions. “With Disney Destination Gatherings, we hope to bring people together again with unforgettable experiences created by a brand they can trust.”

Lynn Clark, vice president of Disneyland Resort Sales and Services, reported: “Today, Disney is seeing strong demand from these segments. Plus, many events are coming back grander than before.” The building bliesure trend and rapid increase in incentive travel as conference attendees add vacation days to the front and back of their work trips has been particularly felt in Disney destinations, Clark explained.

Tourism Diversity Matters Announces Expanded Team to Meet DEI Demand

Tourism Diversity Matters (TDM) announced the expansion of its executive leadership team with the addition of multicultural tourism expert Yvonne Drayton as director of operations.

Read about the origins of Tourism Diversity Matters.

“There’s major momentum and demand in the tourism industry to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Greg DeShields, TDM executive director. The company has grown the consulting team to 10 members to meet the increased demand for DEI organizational culture assessments and strategy development. 

 

Melbourne’s star as a top global destination for medical conferences shines brightly, with a massive 48 medical conferences set to take place within the next five years, attracting around 38,000 delegates. One reason Melbourne is the preferred destination for medical conferences is the city’s global reputation as a powerhouse in medical research, combined with impressive medical neighborhoods and event infrastructure.

The other is due to the strong support the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) and its knowledge Partners provide associations and corporate event planners to achieve engaging programs and outstanding outcomes.

Melbourne’s Top-notch Medical Neighborhoods and Venues

Huge investment has gone into major medical sector infrastructure in Melbourne, such as the neighborhood – Australia’s most important life science cluster and one of the top clusters of its kind in the world.

The Melbourne biomedical neighborhood is made up of over 40 hospitals, medical research institutes, biotechnology organizations and universities largely co-located in the north of its downtown.

The reach of the biomedical neighborhood goes beyond its geographical boundaries, with collaborations with other universities, hospitals, and research organizations throughout the world

Melbourne Connect

 

Located near the biomedical neighborhood is the impressive Melbourne Connect multipurpose venue. At its core lies interdisciplinary collaboration, where researchers and industry participants cross traditional disciplines to creatively and ingeniously tackle complex problems.

Melbourne Connect also offers conference, workshop, and event facilities – including a 38,750 square foot ‘Super Floor’, a 400-delegate lecture hall, meeting rooms and outdoor spaces.

Learn more about Melbourne Connect’s conference space

New Medical Infrastructure Underway

Melbourne’s medical infrastructure continues to grow, with construction underway on the state-of-the-art US $139-million Aikenhead Center for Medical Discovery (ACMD) – Australia’s first hospital-based biomedical engineering research centre.

Due to completion in late 2024, ACMD brings together clinicians, engineers, and scientists to tackle complex health challenges and collectively forge paths to uncover new treatments and techniques.

A Medical Conference Program That Is Fully Walkable

 

One of the highlights for medical conference organizers and delegates when choosing this city is the ease of getting around.

There is a wide selection of conference venues, gala dinner venues, and accommodation all within walking distance, eliminating the need for organizing additional transfers. Delegates will also enjoy staying in the heart of Melbourne, rather than miles out of town, which is often the case in other major cities.

Get ideas for a fully walkable medical conference program in Melbourne

Impressive Medical Conference Sustainability Record

Melbourne also has an impressive track record of hosting medical conferences that disrupt traditional delivery with outstanding sustainability deliverables, such as the Coda2022 conference.

This non-profit healthcare association blazed trails in sustainability at their global conference in Melbourne. Their impressive initiatives to become a climate-neutral certified event wouldn’t have been possible without support from MCB to fulfill their aspirations.

Accessing MCB Knowledge Partners to Optimize Your Program

The MCB runs a successful Knowledge Partnership Program and works with Club Melbourne Ambassadors to secure and host your organization’s conference, as well as support and enhance program development, tap into guest speakers, and optimize your event.

Include Melbourne in Your Next Medical Conference Bid Opportunity

As Australia’s knowledge and innovation capital, Melbourne is a key global destination for successful medical conferences and impressive legacies.

MCB has representation in five countries including North America and provides free support to help your organization secure hosting rights throughout the bidding journey. Once successful, MCB will work with you to bring your event to life.

For more information about Melbourne’s reputation as Australia’s Knowledge City and how MCB can support associations in bringing their event to Melbourne visit melbournecb.com.au

What makes change requests so difficult and tips to resolve

Most meeting planners have experienced the need to make last-minute changes to an upcoming event. This can prove to be a hassle, for the event planner who wants their request fulfilled and for the venue that’s finding difficulty in fulfilling that request. So, where exactly is the source driving this difficulty in fulfillment?

In a new study by Allseated, “Mitigating Risks in The Change Request Process for Event Planning,” the divide between how event venues and planners view change requests was examined. The research consisted of 115 participants from varying sectors of the event industry, including venue operators, event planners, independent planners and caterers.

The Biggest Challenge

Customization seems to be the main culprit when it comes to fulfilling change requests. In the study, it was found that the largest problem venue operators face is the ability to accommodate customized change requests, 55% in fact. There are three factors the study reported that most effect a venue’s ability to make changes effectively.

Costs: The customized modification of floor plans can be significantly hampered by costs. Change requests to plans can result in substantial increases in expenses and  require staff to need to accommodate potential increases in price. The need to make these changes with planners while staying within budget and keeping clients satisfied can also prove difficult.

Read More: The True Cost of Postponing an Event

Documentation: When planning an event, documents, such as contracts, agreements and schedules are essential, but when they become overly complicated, it can make the process of implementing changes far more difficult. The study recommends creating effective strategies like a centralized, comprehensive document management system that allows for easy sharing and editing.

One Reference Point: As the event planning process proceeds, the chances of everyone not being on the same page rise, which can result in problems down the line. To ensure everyone is up-to-date on the latest information, a central location where all planners stakeholders and planners can look for that provides real-time information about goals, roles and responsibilities, and expectations. A tech solution such as this can save time, reduce miscommunication and minimize the potential for errors.

Can Venues Accommodate Layout Changes?

In the ideal scenario of planning a meeting from beginning to end expectations align with reality, but it isn’t always as simple as that. There are several challenges venues face when trying to align the two.

Executing Changes

A venue’s layout and the ability to accommodate layout changes is a make-or-break situation, which can be significantly impacted by various features of the room, like the location of doors, windows and pillars, as well as its infrastructure, like electrical outlets, lights and sound systems.

According to the survey, 97% of venue operators said they must fulfill floor plan changes without issuing additional charges and 84% of them reported experiencing stress and risk in dealing with change requests. This poses a challenge for venue operators and planners, as they have to balance costs while catering to layout changes.

Lack of Staff

Nearly one-third—29%—of venues were significantly affected by Covid-19, resulting in less staff, forcing still-employed staff to stretch out their duties, placing excess strain on all involved.

According to the study, by prioritizing the well-being of employees, venues can overcome these issues. Prioritizing communication and collaboration among staff is also recommended to increase efficiency and reduce stress.

Taking Advantage of Tech

Event planning technology is becoming an ever-greater part of the planning process, despite this, only 36% of venues reported adopting new tech over the last three years. As reported in the survey, one of the primary reasons for this is the venue’s hesitancy attributed to “fear of the unknown,” as venue operators are unsure about how new tech will be received by clients.

Read More: How Meeting Profs Can Find the Right Event Tech

Another reason for the delay in adopting new tech reported in the study is a lack of understanding of how this new tech can be used to make operations better.

A Necessity to Manage Costs

Navigating the potential costs of venue layout changes can be difficult for the operator and event planner. One crucial factor in managing costs on the venue’s side that the report identified is “not having a clear understanding of the event’s objectives and the desired outcome.”

What’s lacking in this scenario is communication. According to the study, both venue operators and planners reported that communication about floor plan changes presents a significant difficulty; on the part of venue operators, this is described as a “capacity cost.” Twenty-four percent of venue operators reported that getting planners’ answers is “too time-consuming,” and almost the same percentage—29%—said difficulty communicating with venues to get answers is their biggest challenge.

The Appeal of Venue Tech

Understandably so, event planners choose venues most likely to offer solutions to the customization needs of their clients. Seventy-one percent of planners surveyed said they’d be more likely to choose a venue with digital floor plans that allow for a sense of creative flexibility in its floor plan design.

It’s 2023, and we’re still talking about a lack of accessibility in the events industry.

From an absence of diverse panel speakers to a lack of options for those visually or hearing impaired, events still aren’t catering to everyone. And we’re not just talking about providing wheelchair access either, something which is also quite low in the industry.

man wearing black dress shirt and black sport coat
Oddmund Braaten

In a world that offers on-site, online and hybrid events, how is this even possible? Especially when technologies such as closed captions and audio guides can easily help those who would previously have found events hard to access.

Lack of planning and understanding audience needs can hinder event attendances. With over 1.8 billion people with disabilities globally, organizations and events that don’t cater to them are not only risking backlash, but they’re also limiting their potential audience reach.

Why Is Event Accessibility Still an Issue?

Despite technological advancements and increased awareness, the events industry still has a considerable distance to cover when it comes to accessibility. Organizers may lack familiarity with the challenges faced by people with health conditions or impairments, resulting in a lack of necessary accommodations.

Read More: 5 Tips for Improving Accessibility for Meetings

Accessibility is a multifaceted issue. It involves a vast range of requirements and needs, from barrier-free venue access to audiovisual aids and sign language interpretation and it can be a challenging task, especially for events with limited resources.

Cultural barriers and biases may also impede organizers from comprehending the importance of accessibility, leading to inadequate arrangements.

Additionally, events that are not accessible to all often result in reduced revenue from ticket sales and sponsorship, limiting the potential for economic growth and innovation. The lack of diversity and cultural exchange hinders progress and reinforces systemic inequalities. By excluding people from different backgrounds and perspectives, we miss valuable opportunities to learn from individuals hailing from all corners of the world and walks of life.

 Improving Accessibility in the Events Industry

Accessibility is a critical aspect of event planning that ensures all attendees can fully participate in and enjoy the event experience. But what can event organizers do today to make their events more open and accessible to all?

 On-site accessibility: Ensuring the event venue is accessible and inclusive, with features such as wheelchair ramps, accessible seating and braille signage, can make a big difference in enabling disabled people to attend and participate.

 Inclusive/diverse marketing: Ensuring that marketing materials and event information are accessible and inclusive can help attract a wider range of attendees from around the world which helps to communicate the event’s commitment to accessibility and inclusivity.

Assistive technology: Offering assistive technology such as hearing aids, amplification devices or mobility aids can help attendees with impairments fully participate in the event. By providing assistive technology, event organizers can create a more inclusive environment that allows disabled people to fully engage with the event and participate in all aspects of it.

Language services: Providing translation or interpretation services can help overcome language barriers for attendees who do not speak the event’s primary language. This can include professional interpreters or even AI-translated speech, that can be accessed via the attendee’s own mobile phones.

Read More: Language Interpretation Is the Next Wave in Virtual Meetings 

Captions and subtitles: For attendees with hearing impairments or who are deaf, providing live captions or subtitles throughout your event can make a significant difference. On-stage screens with live captioning or via their mobile phones are two possible ways of making them available.

Flexible attendance options: Offering virtual attendance options, such as live streaming or video conferencing, can provide an alternative for attendees who cannot physically attend the event due to location or accessibility barriers.

The Future of Events

For current and future events, it is essential that event organizers prioritize accessibility and inclusivity to ensure that everyone can participate and benefit from the event.

By implementing strategies such as those listed above, event organizers can ensure that tomorrow’s events are more accessible and welcoming for all attendees. As technology advances, it is only right that events do as well, and creating an awareness of the importance of inclusivity and acting upon it will help shape the way events are planned and executed in the future.

This can ultimately lead to increased attendance and engagement, as well as a positive reputation for the event and its organizers. Therefore, it is important for event organizers to continuously educate themselves and explore new ways to make their events more accessible and inclusive for all.

By embracing accessibility and inclusivity, event organisers can not only enhance the overall attendee experience, but also demonstrate their commitment to diversity and social responsibility.

—

Oddmund Braaten, CEO at multilingual meeting technology and services provider Interprefy.

What to consider when planning an event at an all-inclusive resort

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) CEO Paul VanDeventer likes to say that when planning the association’s World Education Congress (WEC), MPI takes chances so members don’t have to take on the risk. “Some things work better than others,” he said in a call, reflecting on lessons learned from last week’s gathering of 1,400 meeting professionals at Barcelo Maya Grand Resort in the Mexican Caribbean. Here are five lessons learned for anyone looking to shake up the annual meeting rotation.

1. Be Flexible and Transparent

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, was not the location originally slated for this year’s WEC. Construction delays at America’s Center Convention Complex in St. Louis required VanDeventer and the team to pivot. They started having frank conversations with partners working on the next three years of events and vendors who had submitted RFPs, but had not been selected. “An event at this scale requires a lot of contingencies,” said VanDeventer. Often the cause of the delay is weather or, in the case of the last three years, pandemic-related complications, so building in contingencies is more important than ever, he emphasized.

After some creative scheduling, Barcelo Maya Grand Resort stepped up to host in 2023, Louisville Tourism agreed to host what is expected to be a crowd of 2,500 at Kentucky International Convention Center a year early in 2024. And the group, which now numbers 12,000 members and estimates a community of about 85,000 people proactively engaging with their content in some way during the year, will head back to St. Louis in 2025 in the expanded convention center campus.

Read More: 3 Rewarding Trends in Incentive Travel

The upside of holding WEC in Mexico for the first time was that it accommodated the association’s fastest-growing audience, Latin American meeting professionals, which has had 60% growth over the last four years.

“One of the reasons I was so excited to host in Mexico is I love the history and culture,” VanDeventer said. The team embraced the local culture right down to the shorts and linen guayabera shirts. “It created a ‘we’re all in this together’ feeling and added a fun atmosphere,” he recalled.

2. Consider Nuances of All-inclusive Resorts

WEC 2023 was also the first time the organization had hosted at an all-inclusive resort. That format brought its own set of challenges and benefits. Barcelo Maya Grand Resort is actually a campus of six hotels along a 1.5-mile strip of beach and each has its own associated price tag, so those staying at one resort, as denoted by their wristband, could not meet friends and customers and dine at higher level resorts. That made inviting clients for lunches, dinners and drinks less meaningful if they were both at the same level property and a bit more complicated if the restaurant was at a different property.

In the end, they were simply scheduling a time to connect and the details just had to be thought about in advance. VanDeventer suggested planners looking into all-inclusive campuses either negotiate a solution for access or communicate robustly about the rules in advance—or both. On the upside, expenses were probably much easier for suppliers, he pointed out.

Traditional catering also didn’t make as much sense on a campus with 25 restaurant choices included in the room price. The MPI team elected to schedule longer lunches and allow people to choose their own dining experience. “We were able to give people options,” VanDeventer said.

Another pivot that happened early was a change in imagery as the group encountered hesitancy from some companies to send employees to an all-inclusive resort because it would give the optics of a paid vacation, VanDeventer said.

Very quickly, the beach scenes and Caribbean music were gone from the marketing messages and the “Refresh Your World” pictures of people in lanyards coming together came to the forefront. “We kept hammering that this is not a spring break; this is a business event,” he shared. “There’s no difference in the purpose of WEC whether we’re in Las Vegas, Toronto, St. Louis or Playa Del Carmen. It’s about professional development, networking and doing business and the customers who will be there.”

3. International Logistics

VanDeventer acknowledged that any time a program crosses the border, whether that’s going to Canada or Mexico, there is a whole different level of complexity around customs. “Things you would normally just put on a truck, you have to be much more thoughtful around,” he said. The team was constantly asking, “Does that make sense? Is it worth paying duties on that? Or is it more efficient to source locally? Do we work with partners to provide something for the trade show that we wouldn’t normally bring ourselves?”

He noted that some creative partners packed things in multiple suitcases to bring in everything from giveaways to step-and-repeat backgrounds. “I carried a suitcase with 500 MPI pens and a bunch of bunch of brochures,” VanDeventer admitted. “Everyone chips in and then we all had funny stories about going through customs and being questioned and negotiating taxes—it’s another complexity.”

All things considered, VanDeventer didn’t see the logistical issues as a non-starter. “As long as you’re planning for it and making your partners aware, it is manageable,” he said.

4. Hybrid Additions

Another level of complexity was the decision to offer some sessions virtually through Cvent. A total of 150 people took MPI up on the streaming service option, down from 1,000 when the group met in Grapevine in 2020. “About 100-200 streaming attendees is probably about where we expect to be consistently going forward,” predicted VanDeventer. DJ AmRo (Amani Roberts) moderated the virtual experience with personalized interviews and color commentary. Virtual attendees were able to see the general sessions and the main education rooms. They’ll also have access to all of the digital content that was recorded.

Read More: The Future is Hybrid-ish

The added challenge of offering the technology feature in a remote location with unknown reliability made itself known from the beginning, as about 20 minutes before the opening general session, Amazon Web Services’ network went down. “It was a global outage, and we’re scrambling to try to figure out how to get access to our digital attendees,” VanDeventer recalled vividly with a shake of his head. “And then just as luckily, it all came back up online,” he said.

Also working in MPI’s favor was a modern ballroom at Barcelo Maya Grand Resort that sported a 120-foot LED video wall. Encore, MPI’s AV partners, did a site visit one year in advance and determined the on-site technology would eliminate the need to truck equipment down or source additional equipment locally. At Moscone Center in San Francisco in 2023, plans called for a four-day build-out to prepare the stage. “The nice thing is understanding what’s on the property and how you can utilize that,” VanDeventer said.

5. Communicate About Safety

VanDeventer acknowledged that he received some pushback around the media coverage of safety in Mexico. “We were very clear on how attendees would be in a controlled environment, from the moment they got off the airplane, onto the campus of the resort, from the resort to any of the off-resort activities,” he said. Just as in any city, if people are looking for an experience on the edge, they can find trouble, he reported, but while the fear may have kept some people from attending, in the end, there were no incidents, not even the trips and twisted ankles encountered at previous events.

Read More: Event Safety PSA: Failing to Prepare Could Cost You

“We did our best to provide a safe experience,” he said. “We had contingencies planned around natural disasters and other issues and we’ve always been looking at the safety and wellness of attendees around things like active shooters, and during Covid around wellness. It turned out clear.”

An emphasis on creating a visible welcome starting at the airport was the first step in providing clear signage, and welcoming staff with tight transportation schedules helped everyone feel comfortable.

How music sets the tone for an event

Events are about bringing many different types of people together. Not everyone at an event will speak the same language. Not everyone will have the same career motivations or personal values. Events will be attended by drastically diverse groups of people, even if they are in the same industry. They all come from different backgrounds, different socio-economic status, and have their own distinct history. How can meeting professionals create an environment that will not only set the tone that aligns with the client’s brand but also connects with everyone regardless of their cultural, social, racial or ethnic background? The answer is obvious—music.

Music transcends the barriers between people and is critical to providing guests at an event with an experience that invokes a response more meaningful than your average event. But how do you find the best talent, the best equipment and the best staff to create the exact ambiance for your event attendees? Here is a “need to know” for meeting professionals so they can enhance events with the best in the business when it comes to sound design and AV.

Read More: How to Add the Power of Music to Your Next Event

In-house, Outside or Production Company?

Many event venues offer AV and sound services included in the space rental package. The convenience of all the equipment and staff being on site can relieve many stressors for meeting professionals by removing the worry of transportation and employees not being on time or simply falling through. However, hotel employees are only sometimes trained in AV or sound design and quotes can get muddled when negotiating what is needed and expected from the event space team. Meeting professionals may run the risk of dealing with hidden fees.

Outside AV services tend to have more modern equipment and a staff who is focused and knowledgeable about the process. The outside companies also have competitive pricing—bringing in an outside team can help an event budget. Yet there is a counterpart to this. If meeting professionals turn down the option of using an event space’s AV team and bring in an outside company, there could be a clause in the contract that charges an extra fee for external services. Always be sure to read contracts carefully!

Production companies do it all. With top-tier staff and state-of-the-art equipment, production companies go far beyond providing a service. They will work with meeting professionals and clients to do perform “sound design” services – a comprehensive soundtrack that will represent your brand through sound and music. Production teams can also procure live entertainment with some of the most recognized artists, comedians and musicians in the world. Sound is an element of an event that can transport the audience to the exact branding mindset the event was aiming to emulate.

Read More: Power of Music Unites Puerto Rico

Exclamation Group

As one of the premier production companies to work with both European and American luxury brands and more, Thomas Serrano and Anastasia Nisenbaum understand the importance of music for the human experience at an event and working with a vast demographic of brands, each wanting their own unique proverbial soundtrack for their event.

“When you talk to clients, the challenge will be the personal taste and the personal preference,” says Serrano. “So that’s why in the beginning with Anastasia, we decided to commit to being meaningful and memorable. Meaningful, meaning that there is a rationale behind the choices you do. After the rationale, we can go more into the emotional and that’s when the event becomes memorable.”

Nisenbaum began her event career at the Olympic Games and remembers how a certain track she was listening to with a client brought her straight back to the medal ceremonies at her first Olympics.

“I was experiencing those feelings I experienced back then,” says Nisenbaum. “So, it shows you how powerful sound is. So we try to map the emotional journey of our own clients from beginning to end. What are they going to feel when they enter the room? And they’re moving to the next room – what emotion will you trigger?”

Working in both Europe and America, Exclamation Group works with European luxury brands that have had a historical and high-end reputation for centuries to breaking-ground American technology companies, their services for talent acquisition or pre-recorded sound design and equipment serve a wide diversity of clientele—and they are equipped for it all. Serrano explains the importance of working with the client to understand branding, experience and cohesion.

“Those discussions are interesting, if you can trigger the right question to the client,” says Serrano. “That’s the beauty of putting some thinking behind it and making sure that you don’t just select the first artist that the client wants because they’re popular.”

Serrano and Nisenbaum proceeded to play a piece of classical music during our interview. It was described as a triumphant voyage across the ocean. It was invigorating, timeless and set a specific definitive tone. It was a clear representation of the way music can create an atmosphere in an instant—no words, no language, no lyrics. Simply the universal and collective understanding of sound is enough for events to brand themselves in a “meaningful and memorable way” to represent the brand.

How live performances show groups a good time

Before the velvety red curtain recedes away from the stage, the auditorium lights dim and the low clamor of voices from the audience falls silent. From there, the anticipation begins to sprout in the chests of playgoers and their hosts alike. Providing a successful and amazing experience for event attendees can often feel like an award-worthy performance for meeting professionals, and rightfully so, as the smiling faces of attendees funnel out of the venue chatting about the performance.

In Northern California, Southern California and Las Vegas, meeting professionals have the unique opportunity of treating attendees to unforgettable experiences through live theater and interactive museums that showcase various forms of entertainment that brighten our lives. The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Theater, the Pasadena Playhouse and the newly opened Punk Rock Museum in Vegas all offer groups a captivating, and at times, enlightening adventure.

A Tony Award-winning Theater

For those gathering in Southern California, the Pasadena Playhouse offers the theatrically uninitiated the chance to view a live performance at the official State Theater of California, which first opened in 1917 and has since been the stage for thousands of performances, including those from preeminent playwrights such as Tennessee Williams, Eugene O’Neill and Suzan Lori Parks.

Read More: Lessons for Building Community Like a Broadway Performer

In June, the Playhouse won the 2023 Regional Theater Tony Award—based on recommendations handed down from American Theater Critics Association. The honor comes with a $25,000 grant provided by City National Bank.

“Channeling an unparalleled spirit of community, creativity and innovation—Pasadena Playhouse has been redefining theater arts throughout the country and beyond for more than a century,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom. “This much-deserved award recognizes the extraordinary legacy of this world-renowned institution and all the dedicated artists, theater makers and supporters who help bring to life impactful stories for the ages.”

Museum of an Unexpected Kind

glass case of memorabilia of the ramones rock band

Do you remember museums? You know, those places of ancient artifacts housed behind glass in cold fixtures made from metal and stone. Well, this museum is of a different ilk. Having just opened on April 1 of this year, The Punk Rock Museum offers seasoned fans of the impactful genre, as well as non-fans, an opportunity to dive headlong into a musical experience unlike any other.

“The idea came about roughly two years ago,” says museum chief marketing officer and founding member of the punk group “Less Than Jake,” Vinnie Fiorello. The concept of The Punk Rock Museum came to fruition thanks to the efforts of the Punk Rock Collective—a group of musicians including “Fat Mike” Burkett of the band NOFX, Pennywise guitarist Fletch Dragge, Bryan Ray Turcotte and Fiorello. “It was a process,” he said. “It was really a labor of love.”

The museum extends its tentacles through 50 years of punk history, providing guests with an in-depth look at the genre that has cast influence across countless facets of American culture. “You can see the reverberation since the ‘70s,” Fiorello said, noting that punk’s influence is evident in many mainstream areas, including fashion. “Our job is to look around and see visual and audio touch points that show the lineage of the music,” he said, adding, “[punk] is so much more than Mohawks.” Groups can venture through the museum with guided tours provided by “living punk rock legends,” according to Fiorello.

So much more, indeed! Beyond exploring the countless artifacts including photos, clothing, instruments, artwork and even pages of hand-written lyrics, visitors can try their hand at instruments that belonged to well-known musicians such as Joan Jet. “My favorite part of the museum is the Jam Room—you can pick up a guitar and play through any song,” Fiorello said. The experience lends an interactive and memorable component to the museum.

Planners have the opportunity to treat groups to some refreshments at The Triple Down—the museum’s bar co-managed by punk legend P Moss inspired by Moss’ famous Double Down Saloon in Las Vegas. Guests can sample a variety of punk-inspired cocktails including the “Fletcher,” based on the habits of Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge while traveling with his band on tour. He required all of his adult beverages to be served in a super-size format, but alas, no cup in sight could suffice. “So, he used an empty Pringles can for his rum and Cokes,” Fiorello said. Guests can enjoy the massive pour served in an empty Pringles can and served with a side of Pringles chips. The Triple Down can accommodate over 100 guests.

Theater by the Lake

man speaking on stage in front of lake, with group in crowd

Lake Tahoe is most well-known for its wide array of outdoor activities including skiing, mountain biking, golf, hiking and so much more, but Tahoe also offers a healthy dose of culture lakeside at the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival (LTSF), set to kick off at the end of June with “Little Shop of Horrors.”

Read More: Site Inspection: Lake Tahoe

The 1,000-seat auditorium first opened in 1972 at Sugar Pine Point State Park on the west shore of Lake Tahoe and featured live performances of the works of Shakespeare on the lawn in front of the Ehrman Mansion until ongoing maintenance issues forced the plays to cease. By 1979, the theater company had landed a new home at Tahoe’s Sand Harbor with the help of the North Tahoe Fine Arts Council and Nevada State Parks and featured a modest stage built by volunteers. The nonprofit Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation invited the theater company in 1999 to share space at the Donald W. Reynolds Not-for-Profit Center where it remains today.

Groups can gather beside the lake ensconced by pines under the stars while sipping wine and enjoying a live performance provided by actors who bring their A-game. “Eat, drink and be merry,” is the slogan boasted from the theater’s kitchen, operated by Brimm’s Catering Co., with offerings that include starters such as charcuterie boards, gourmet salads and sandwiches and even a taco bar—all made fresh daily.

“Our 2023 season programming reflects our ongoing efforts to rebuild after three pandemic-disrupted seasons,” said LTSF Producing Artistic Director Charles Fee. “To be prudent, we have decided to produce a single mainstage offering in 2023. We chose to produce the small-cast musical “Little Shop of Horrors” instead of a large-scale Shakespeare title because it enables us to maximize production cost efficiencies–as the musical has already been built, fully rehearsed and played to great success at our partner theaters in Boise and Cleveland.” The 2023 season kicks off on June 30 and will run through Aug. 20.

New in Pasadena

A view of a map directory posted on a light signal at an intersection

AC Hotel

Colorado Boulevard, famous for being the route to the world-famous and Pasadena-treasured Rose Bowl parade, will be the site of a new AC Hotel. Projected to be completed in the summer of 2024, it will be the first branded hotel in the Playhouse Village District surrounded by the Pasadena Playhouse, Ice House Comedy Club and many entertainment, shopping and dining options.

Hotel Dena, Pasadena Los Angeles, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

Directly adjacent to the Pasadena Convention Center, the hotel has joined the ranks of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio. The brand represents hotels with “striking design moments, bold use of color and noteworthy art installations.” With a retro art deco interior aesthetic transporting guests to the days when Pasadena was the original Hollywood, it is clear why Marriott chose to include Hotel Dena in its Tribute Portfolio.

“All Are Welcome in Pasadena”

Read More: Notes from the Road: Pasadena

Pasadena is celebrating Pride with the launch of a new campaign: “All are welcome in Pasadena.” The iconic rose emblem of the city has been redesigned with pride colors and businesses are encouraged to show their support by raising the proverbial and literal flag. Kristin McGrath, executive director of Visit Pasadena, expresses how important it is for potential Pasadena travelers to know that Pasadena stands with diversity, equity and inclusion.

“We are incredibly excited to launch this Pride month campaign that celebrates Pasadena as a welcoming and safe destination for LGBTQ+ and ally communities,” says McGrath. “Pasadena is a vibrant and diverse community that attracts travelers from around the world.”

–  Morgan Saltz