Did you spot a flashy new MGM Resorts International commercial on TV Sunday night during the Emmy broadcast? The eye-catching ad is the brand’s first corporate campaign, titled “Welcome to the Show.”
“Welcome to the Show gives audiences permission to be bold in their pursuit of fun, to live life fully,” Lilian Tomovich, MGM’s chief experience and marketing officer, said in a press release. “It communicates our clear aspiration to be first in the minds of consumers as a company that offers the most comprehensive entertainment experiences, delivered by our extraordinary team around the world.”
The campaign raises the curtain to highlight the wide array of shows, sporting events and restaurants across the company’s 27 resorts and 20 arenas. It is a sizzle reel of high flying acrobats, great balls of fire, fountains of water and a roaring lion. Beyond hotels and gaming, MGM wants everyone to know they are a premier destination for dining, dancing, boxing and relaxing at the spa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=930JwVp3Qu4
“Our new Welcome to the Show campaign is an epic invitation, designed to declare our point of view to the world and tie together our deep and diverse portfolio of resorts, from those that define the famed Las Vegas Strip to those across the U.S. and around the world,” Jim Murren, the brand’s chairman and CEO, said in the release.
“Welcome to the Show” ads will not only be seen on television, but in print, social media and more. In fact, MGM became the first travel partner in history to create a Snapchat World + Face lens. The company will also launch a sweepstakes on Twitter on September 25 to engage followers using emojis. The 15-day contest will award daily prizes, such as resort packages and a $40,000 grand prize.
When you find yourself at a MGM Resort for a meeting or conference, find some spare time to get a ticket to a concert, boxing match and treat yourself to Michelin-starred cuisine.
It’s not nearly business as usual in Mexico City after yesterday’s 7.1-magnitude earthquake, but early indications are that recovery may be much less prolonged than initially feared.
Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX) reopened early this morning, though some damage was sustained and several flights diverted yesterday.
Leopoldo Farias Barlow, executive director of the Mexico City-based trade show and events association AMEREF, e-mailed a brief update to Trade Show Executive. “We are all fine,” he wrote. Farias Barlow also noted some venues had sustained “minor damages that will not affect shows.” Additionally, Mexico Tourism Board released a statement on Tuesday citing that given the facts, “there is no reason for visitors to cancel travel plans to Mexico.”
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) did postpone the World Para Swimming and World Para Powerlifting Championships, set to begin September 30.
Para-powerlifters from 65 countries were to compete at Juan de la Barrera Olympic Gymnasium. And swimmers from 60 countries were expected at Francisco Marquez Olympic Swimming Pool.
Nonetheless, the two venues appear to have sustained only minor damage, pending a complete structural inspection. In addition, some hotels set to accommodate athletes and related infrastructure were damaged, according to the website Inside the Games.
Inevitably, comparisons are being made to the catastrophic, 8.1-magnitude Mexico City earthquake which, incredibly enough, occurred on the very same date 32 years ago. That disaster killed 10,000 and collapsed 258 buildings in the downtown historic district alone—including Hotel Regis, a luxury property dating the early 1900s, at which only a wall with a Diego Rivera mural survived.
By comparison, Mexican authorities said yesterday’s quake-related death toll in Mexico City was 94, in a city of some 9 million. Deaths elsewhere put the total loss of life at 225. Rescue efforts continue, particularly in Mexico City, where people remain trapped in the rubble of fallen buildings.
A total of 45 buildings crumbled in the Mexican capital, and another 500 need to be inspected by safety officials, Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said this morning.
There have been no reports of the destruction of major meetings hotels or convention centers, nor of any sustaining serious damage.
A major contributing factor to the difference between the two earthquakes in loss of life and damage is a complete overhaul of building codes in Mexico City after 1985. And there have been important earthquake preparedness efforts, as well.
Only hours before yesterday’s quake, the streets of Mexico City overflowed with workers, residents and visitors. It was a citywide earthquake evacuation drill, conducted annually on the anniversary of the 1985 disaster.
No one knew they would be fleeing into the streets again later that day.
Photo credit: Southwest Airlines
As the headlines are awash with the human misery of Harvey, Irma and Maria, our four-legged friends have not been forgotten. Lessons were learned from an earlier disaster named Katrina, a dozen years ago, when thousands of pets were abandoned in the rush to flee floodwaters—many never to be seen again.
In a coordinated display of logistics, communication and perseverance—all classic meeting planner skills—animal-advocate groups sprang into action last month as Hurricane Harvey made its way toward Texas. Humane Society of the United States, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and other pet-friendly organizations began what could be called a furvacuation.
They began emptying Texas animal shelters and relocating homeless dogs and cats to no-kill facilities in other parts of the country.
After Harvey struck, Van Nuys, California-based Wings of Rescue flew 17 missions and saved more than 1,500 animals within the first two weeks. Relief flights continued as Irma hit. Southwest Airlines teamed up with Helen Woodward Animal Center, flying shelter animals to the San Diego facility for eventual adoption.
Photo credit: Southwest Airlines
In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott urged hotels that ban pets to waive the rule for pet owners fleeing Irma. For dogs and cats, at least—no one seemed ready to make exceptions for snakes, tarantulas or other exotics. A Facebook post that went viral claimed, falsely, that federal law required hotels to accept pets during weather-related evacuations. The 2006 Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act did mandate that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) consider the needs of pet owners when developing disaster preparedness plans. It made no mention of hotels or motels. For the record, the website Pets Welcome has a pet-friendly hotel search function. (Type in a city for a list of hotels that welcome animals.)
Predictably, social media found its hospitality heroes and villains. Hyatt Regency Orlando won kudos for taking in nearly 1,000 pets and their human families seeking safe haven. The 1,641-room property already had a pet-friendly policy. It also waived a 50-pound weight limit, and reduced from $150 to $50 the cleaning fee to guests with pets. The rule against dogs in its restaurants was kept in place, but the hotel set up pop-up, grab-and-go markets in common areas.
A Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Texas, on the other hand, was vilified for refusing a Texas family’s three dogs. “It’s ridiculous and outrageous,” the dogs’ owner, Gillian Parker, told People magazine. “This is an 800-year flood. Three exits down the highway, the National Guard is pulling people out of their houses. And our dogs can’t come in to safety?”
The Trump travel ban is getting tweaked yet again. Stringent restrictions on travelers from six majority-Muslim nations will be replaced by more targeted limitations. These new rules are based on how well security standards to block terrorists posing as tourists or other legitimate visitors have been set in place by individual governments
The change could come this weekend, according to news reports.
This latest iteration of the ban comes after United States officials notified an unspecified number of governments that travel to this country could be blocked or severely restricted if they did not enhance security for passports and measures to identify potential terrorists.
Some of those countries beefed up their security efforts, said officials, and would not be included in the revised restrictions.
“The Trump administration will ensure that the people who travel to the United States are properly vetted and those that don’t belong here aren’t allowed to enter,” Jonathan Hoffman, assistant secretary for public affairs for Department of Homeland Security, told The New York Times.
The original travel ban also limited entry into the United States of refugees from around the world. The new rules reportedly do not change that portion of the ban, which leaves the refugee issue for the Supreme Court to decide.
Lower courts agreed with immigrant rights groups that the original ban was unconstitutional. In June, the Supreme Court modified the ban but allowed it to take effect pending a full review by the court.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments on October 10. As a result of this latest development, justices may seek new input from lawyers for the government and for groups challenging the administration’s actions. Critics of the ban accuse the government of wanting to ban Muslims as much as terrorists, and meeting planners have said the uncertainties of the executive order have had a negative effect on the events industry.
“If someone is a confirmed speaker, can they enter the country?” asked John Graham, president and CEO for Center for Association Leadership (ASAE). “At least with the blanket travel ban, we knew the lay of the land. Now people are worried that they won’t be allowed in the country, or once they get there, they won’t be able to get back out.”
Hard Rock Hotels, known for having some of the most amazing presidential suites, is teaming up with Sony Music Entertainment to redefine the traditional presidential suite by integrating dynamic life-sized content, mixed media and memorabilia of the world’s most iconic artists.
“We’re thrilled to be in alliance with one of the most highly regarded music companies in the world,” said Dale Hipsh, senior vice president of hotels for Hard Rock International. “Partnering with Sony Music gives Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos unprecedented access to an incredible breadth of emerging and superstar artists, iconic record labels and insights to help develop our music strategy in key markets. This creative capability allows us to bring our key differentiator to life in ways never before done by infusing music, design, and technology.”
Sherif Shafi, vice president of brand innovation for Arcade Creative Group and Sony Music Entertainment, says, “It’s an honor to join forces with such an iconic institution that has long been synonymous with the best in music and entertainment. Partnering with Hard Rock allows us an amazing platform to promote our music and artists on a global scale while having our arcade creative team deliver world-class creative content and groundbreaking experiential concepts, positioning Hard Rock as a leader in the lifestyle category.”
Arcade Creative Group and Sony Music will advise for select properties public spaces, such as bar and club areas, and lobbies to consistently integrate a musically centric aesthetic. Each rock- star suite will encompass creative design, one-of-a-kind memorabilia and a music experience of a lifetime.
Properties that will be featuring the Rock Star Suites are Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos and Hard Rock Hotel Guadalajara in Mexico, Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast in Malaysia and Hard Rock Hotel New York in New York City, scheduled to open in late spring 2019.
Marketers “get it” when it comes to the power of events to meet their goals and they are willing to put their budgets where their meetings are according to a new survey by Bizzaboo. The poll of more than 400 mid- to senior -level marketers was included in the company’s 2018 Event Marketing Benchmarks and Trends Report and it showed that marketers overwhelmingly see events as an essential part of their marketing pipeline. The majority plan to invest even more in collective gatherings next year. Here are the details:
1. Human Connections Rock
Almost every respondent (95 percent) agreed with the statement that live events provide attendees with a valuable opportunity to form in-person connections in an increasingly digital world. While the primary reason for wanting to connect varied (half were split between lead generation and community building with others citing brand awareness and customer relations), live events (31 percent) beat out every other marketing channel as being rated most effective compared to content marketing (27 percent), email marketing (25 percent) and organic social media (6 percent).
2. Play to Your Strengths
As a result of this perceived success, three out of five (63 percent) said they planned to increase their investment in live events, and increase the number of events. Moreover, the overwhelming majority of businesses classified as overperforming their goal said they planned to grow their event marketing budgets—by a margin of $4,500 more.
3. Support from the Top
A supermajority of executives (87 percent) agreed with the statement “In the coming years, live events will become increasingly important to my organization’s success.” And four out of five (84 percent) c-suite executives polled said they planned to increase the number of events in the coming year. That message may be taking time to trickle down. Only 70 percent of those in non-executive roles said they felt that the leadership team at their company supports a live event strategy.
The authors concluded that “The internet is not and will never be enough. People crave in-person experiences. The opportunity to travel somewhere else, meet someone new, learn something different is an irreplaceable experience…We fully expect that in-person live events will continue to reign as the single-most effective marketing channel in 2018 and beyond.”
Meeting planners looking for solid ground regarding the Trump administration travel ban may be disheartened to know it has been revised—again. The latest version adds visitors from North Korea and Venezuela, and eliminates Sudan from the banned list. But it does stipulate specific types of travelers banned from the eight nations that are included. As before, the government cites threats to national security posed by letting banned visitors into the country.
The eight nations – Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen – will remain on the list “until we are sure that we can conduct proper screening and vetting of those countries’ nationals,” said the White House in a statement.
In reaction, the Supreme Court cancelled a scheduled Oct. 10 hearing on the previous version of the travel ban. The court asked lawyers in the case to address “whether, or to what extent, the proclamation” may render the case moot.
By canceling the arguments, said The New York Times, the court signaled it may never decide the case.
The Details
Entry to the United States is suspended for all travelers from North Korea (18 visas had been issued to North Koreans from March to June this year, according to a report from broadcaster Voice of America). Venezuelan immigrants are still permitted entry, but not specific Venezuelan government officials or their immediate family members as business or tourist travelers. President Donald Trump, in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly last week, put both North Korean and Venezuela on his “list of rogue nations.”
Travelers from Iran and Somalia were granted limited entry. In Iran’s case, entry will be permitted for students or Iranians on exchange programs only. Somalians who are not immigrants can enter with enhanced screening and vetting.
Entry for immigrants, business travelers and tourists was banned for citizens of Chad, Libya, Syria and Yemen.
Why Sudan, which is listed as a state sponsor of terrorism, was removed from the banned list was not made public. The U.S. government had promised to look more favorably on nations that have improved travel security and done a better job of reporting lost and stolen passport, according to USA Today, but it was not revealed whether Sudan had taken such steps.
Iraq was on the original banned list issued in January, but was dropped in a revision in March. Travel limitations were not appropriate, the White House said, because of the close cooperative relationship between the U.S. government and the democratically elected government of Iraq.
Groups traveling to this island country lined with pastel homes, and ‘50s era cars were advised on Friday, Sept. 29, by the U.S. State Department not to visit in the wake of mysterious “sonic attacks” on U.S. diplomats. Here are four things you need to know about what’s going on in Cuba.
- U.S. Embassy employees have been attacked, apparently by a sonic weapon that emits sound waves capable of inflicting harm. More than 20 U.S. embassy employees in Cuba have been injured and reported symptoms such as headache, fatigue, dizziness, hearing loss, and cognitive issues.
- Per CNN.com “US officials said Raul Castro denied the attacks and authorized FBI teams to travel to the island to help with the investigation, which is being led by Cuba’s Interior Ministry.”
- The U.S. Embassy in Havana will halt regular visa operation and only offer emergency services to U.S. citizens.
- In a dramatic response to the mysterious recent specific attacks, the United States Embassy has ordered over half of Havana personnel to leave the island.
Adapting to changing times and ever-changing technology dominated the presentations and discussions at the Education Summit hosted this week by Destination Marketing Association of the West (DMA West) at The Linq in Las Vegas.
In the opening keynote, Aaron Wodin-Schwartz, vice president for public policy at Brand USA, said the public-private organization tasked with promoting foreign travel to the United States is working to reassure the rest of the world that “the U.S.A. is as amazing as ever.” He acknowledged that the current political climate has negatively influenced many would-be visitors from other countries. Tourism from Mexico, in particular, has been sensitive to perceived unwelcoming messages from the Trump administration, he said.
Nonetheless, Wodin-Schwartz emphasized that the greatest single factor impacting decisions to travel to the U.S. is the recent strength of the U.S. dollar, which has reduced the buying power of foreign currencies and made U.S. travel more expensive.
The Trump administration has proposed defunding Brand USA. Wodin-Schwartz said his organization cannot comment or advocate on this issue, but he did imply that the local impact of $245 billion and nearly 8 million jobs supported by international visitors has increased support for Brand USA in Congress.
More Nuggets
Use data to determine specific audience preferences. In a workshop on best practices for measuring ROI in destination marketing, two experts urged DMOs to use measurement data as a strategic tool, and not simply to gauge effectiveness of their marketing efforts. New data technology allows marketers to understand what visitors want when they come to a destination. A map of the Washington, D.C. Mall was overlaid with dots representing visits to specific sites such as the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. Using data collected from cellphones being carried by tourists, these visits can be segmented by categories of traveler, showing marketers (and the planners they share that data with) the favorite attractions for Texans versus those favored by New Yorkers, for example.
Make it quick. Shannon Gray, a cultural anthropologist and CEO of Gray Research Solutions, spoke to the importance of creating connection and trust with travelers. And she addressed challenges today’s marketers face–the average attention span of Americans, she said, is less than 8 seconds, and is declining. (It was 12 seconds in 2000.)
Take a cue from social. A keynote titled “Your Future Is Social” by Martin Stoll, president of Sparkloft Media, highlighted how best practices regarding social data from other industries can be used by DMOs and planners. He noted, for example, that Facebook targets ads to users based on data it gathers that has nothing to do with Facebook posts, including users’ store visits, offline purchases and even phone calls.
The 3-day gathering, attended by delegates from 65 destination marketing organizations (DMOs) from Alaska to Texas, was sponsored, in part, by Smart Meetings.
