A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION JANUARY 2023 VOL. 16 NO. 1 $15.00 2023 INDUSTRY FORECAST PAGE 16 PAGE 51 Despite Headwinds, Industry Leaders See Continued Success America’s Premier Convention CentersDEPARTMENTS DESTINATIONS FEATURES 28 2432 20 16 VIEWPOINT 10 Embracing Differences Organizations Lose When Employees Are ‘Othered‘ BY AMRI B. JOHNSON 12 Be Ready Venues That Can Meet Planners’ Needs Will Have the Upper Hand BY JONATHAN MORSE 14 Tailor Your Travel Policy Consider Employees With Chronic Illnesses BY TIFANI JONES 16 2023 Industry Forecast Despite Headwinds, Industry Leaders See Continued Success in 2023 COMPILED BY HENRY FITZGERALD 20 The DEI Movement Diverse Perspectives Elevate Meetings and Events BY MAURA KELLER 24 Make It Worthwhile There Are Several Factors to Consider to Enhance Event ROI BY MAURA KELLER 28 Leaping Ahead Meetings Technology is Taking Events Into the Future BY CHRISTINE LOOMIS 4 Publisher’s Message 6 News & Notes 8 Snapshots 66 Career Track 32 Arizona Great Winter Weather, Outdoor Activities and Attractive Surroundings BY DAVID SWANSON 38 Florida From Beaches to Theme Parks, There is Something for Everyone BY MAURA KELLER 44 Louisiana Distinct Tastes Offered in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport-Bossier BY NANCY MUELLER ISSN 21628831 | USPS 003500 | A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION | JANUARY 2023 | VOLUME 16 | NUMBER 1 JANUARY 2023 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES 3 ISSUECONTENTS AMERICA’S PREMIER CONVENTION CENTERS SPECIAL SECTION PAGE 51A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Harvey Grotsky harvey.grotsky @ themeetingmagazines.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kristin Bjornsen kristin.bjornsen @ themeetingmagazines.com MANAGING EDITOR Henry Fitzgerald henry.fitzgerald @ themeetingmagazines.com EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Rachel Galvin rachel.galvin @ themeetingmagazines.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Sophia Bennett Cynthia Dial Dan Johnson Maura Keller Christine Loomis Keith Loria Nancy Mueller David Swanson PRESIDENT & CEO Harvey Grotsky VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS David Middlebrook david.middlebrook @ themeetingmagazines.com ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES 2500 N. 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Provide old and new addresses including zip code. Enclose address label from most recent issue and please allow five weeks for the change to become effective. Printed in U.S.A. ©2023 Harvey Grotsky Publisher 844.350.4522 Broadmoor.com 1 Lake Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 Welcome to the True Colorado Convention Experience. So much space, the possibilities are wide open. Nestled in the scenic foothills of the Rockies, The Colorado Springs Convention Center at The Broadmoor offers over 315,000 square feet of meeting space. And every detail and service has been considered to make your event a success. Book your event today at conventioncenter.broadmoor.com 315,000+ SQ FT MEETING SPACE 93,500 SQ FT TRUE EXHIBIT SPACE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA linkedin.com/company/ ACFacilities @ACFacilities @ACFacilities facebook.com/ ACFacilities linkedin.com/company/ ACFacilities @ACFacilities @ACFacilities facebook.com/ ACFacilities themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 2023 PUBLISHER’SMESSAGE 4 Our 16th Anniversary of Success W elcome to the January issue of Association Conventions & Facilities, America’s only print and online magazine for association meeting & convention planners. This issue marks the 16-year anniversary of our publishing commitment to offer content to help you make your meeting and conven- tion planning a success. We will continue to offer our loyal subscribers input from known industry professionals on numerous topics of immediate and future interest. Our commitment to you is to continue to offer timely subject matter related to your needs. For example, check out our “2023 Industry Forecast” article with leaders detail- ing their outlook for the year ahead. If you are planning to book future events in a convention center, see page 51, where you will find our feature, “2023 America’s Premier Convention Centers.” In addition to these first- class facilities, other destinations with new and renovated convention centers include Denver, Colorado; Fort Worth, Arlington and Dallas, Texas; St. Louis, Missouri; Milwaukee, Wiscon- sin; Indianapolis, Indiana; Las Vegas, Nevada and Savannah, Georgia. Others, like Austin, Texas; Boston, Massachusetts and Los Angeles, California are considering plans to expand. Looking back over the years, I remember bracing for the havoc Y2K would unleash, and I remember being unprepared for the pandemic. Perseverance and caution have enabled us to overcome these obstacles with success. Today, they are in the rear-view mirror. You can continue to make Association Conventions & Facilities even more ben- eficial as your go-to source if you communicate with us. First, let us know how we’re doing. If our articles have been on target, say so. Equally as important, I would appreci- ate if you would suggest other subjects you would like to see covered, new issues we should be exploring and why they are important to you. By giving us your candid reaction to specific articles published or identifying sub- ject areas we failed to cover, you’ll be helping us to continue providing the strongest, most interesting publication that’s closely attuned to your professional needs. I hope you will take a minute and respond to me. Thank you!844.350.4522 Broadmoor.com 1 Lake Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 Welcome to the True Colorado Convention Experience. So much space, the possibilities are wide open. Nestled in the scenic foothills of the Rockies, The Colorado Springs Convention Center at The Broadmoor offers over 315,000 square feet of meeting space. And every detail and service has been considered to make your event a success. Book your event today at conventioncenter.broadmoor.com 315,000+ SQ FT MEETING SPACE 93,500 SQ FT TRUE EXHIBIT SPACEthemeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 2023 ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — Meet AC, Atlantic City’s destination meet- ings and events marketing organization, recently launched its new branding as Visit Atlantic City and coinciding website, visit atlanticcity.com. Visit Atlantic City’s new branding embodies a series of traits that will guide marketing and plans moving forward. Visit Atlantic City also announced its annual review of impact for 2022. The year-end evaluation indicated that Meet AC and the Atlantic City Sports Commission hosted 209 events, resulting in 264,551 room nights and 498,795 attendees that generated an economic impact of just more than $300 million. Meet AC Launches New Branding, Becomes Visit Atlantic City PORTSMOUTH, NH — According to the fourth quarter United States Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econo- metrics (LE), the U.S. market with the largest hotel construc- tion pipeline by projects is Dallas, with a record high count of 176 projects, accounting for 20,790 rooms. Following Dallas is Atlanta, with 145 projects/18,100 rooms; Los Angeles, with 122 projects/19,419 rooms; Phoenix, with 116 projects/16,229 rooms; and Nashville with 106 projects/14,198 rooms. U.S. mar- kets with the most projects currently under construction are New York, with 61 projects/9,976 rooms, and Phoenix, with 28 projects/5,522 rooms. TAMPA, FL — Tampa International Airport’s on-site Marriott hotel has completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of its meeting and event spaces as it celebrates its 50th anniver- sary. The hotel offers 25,416 sf of meeting and event space, including 17 meeting rooms, the largest of which is the 7,446-sf Hillsborough Grand Ballroom, which can accommodate up to 700 attendees. The renovation encompassed a completely new look. Features include LED lighting throughout and radio fre- quency ID door locks for enhanced security. The goal was to create a social-club connection combining conversation, col- laboration and common connection. DETROIT, MI — Huntington Place has again achieved LEED Gold status by recertifying under the LEED v4.1 O+M rating system, the most robust, flexible and transparent rating system to date. LEED is a globally recognized symbol of excellence in green building. LEED certification ensures electricity cost savings, lower carbon emissions and healthier environments where people live, work, learn, play and worship. With 723,000 sf of exhibit space, Huntington Place boasts one of the largest contiguous exhibit floor spaces in North America, and has the largest ballroom in Michigan at 40,000 sf. Dallas is Tops With the Largest Hotel Construction Pipeline in the U.S. Tampa Airport Marriott Completes Multimillion-Dollar Renovation Huntington Place Recertifies as the Largest LEED Facility in Michigan SEATTLE, WA — Summit, the Seattle Convention Center’s (SCC) $2 billion downtown addition — and North America’s first high- rise convention center — has officially opened. This addition nearly doubles the capacity of the Seattle Convention Center, adding 573,770 sf of event space, including 62 meeting rooms, a 58,000-sf, column-free and divisible ballroom, 248,450 sf of exhibit space, 140,700 sf of naturally lit lobby space and the 14,000-sf outdoor Garden Terrace. Covering 1.5 million sf, Sum- mit and the original Arch building together create a campus built to usher in the future of meetings and conventions. Seattle Convention Center Announces Opening of Summit Building 6 NEWS&NOTESJANUARY 2023 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES COLUMBUS, OH — Congratulations to PCMA’s President and CEO Sheriff Kara- mat and Experience Columbus President & CEO Brian Ross for a wonderful Conven- ing Leaders 2023 conference. Also, special recognition to the Encore Global team for an incredible main stage set up! At Convening Leaders 2023 (CL23), nearly 3,300 business events profes- sionals and community leaders from around the world gathered in January, a 50% increase from CL22! Throughout the conference, there was a diverse mix of inspiring entertainers and speakers. With numerous educational sessions and inspiration from main-stage speak- ers such as Adam Grant, Yes Theory, Allyson Felix, Carly Fiorina and Daniel Pink, CL23 was designed to provide the leadership essentials, best practices and new insights on trending topics to meet today’s challenges. With a vast choice of sessions, outside experts and industry peers shared new ideas and strategies for reducing the environmental impact of the events industry. Attendees agreed they felt refreshed and re-energized to make things happen for the rest of 2023. San Diego will host Convening Leaders 2024 January 7-10 at the San Diego Convention Center. Experience Columbus Wows PCMA Attendees NASHVILLE, TN — Longtime leader of the Nashville Conven- tion & Visitors Corp., Butch Spyridon, who guided Nashville into a top global destination, will retire from the organiza- tion June 30 after 32 years as its top executive. Deana Ivey, who currently holds the title of president, will be promoted to president and CEO July 1. Spyridon has led the organiza- tion since 1991, and has held the dual title of president and CEO since 2003. The 22-member NCVC board of directors developed a long-term strategic succession plan several years ago to prepare for Spyridon’s retirement, includ- ing Ivey’s transition into the CEO role. Ivey, who has been with the NCVC for 25 years, was promoted to president in January 2022, and previously served as executive vice president and chief marketing officer. On July 1, Spyri- don will transition into a role as a strategic consultant to the NCVC under a two-year consulting contract, including efforts to recruit major global events. WASHINGTON, DC — Destinations International, the world’s largest resource for official destination organizations and convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs), announced a part- nership with Anderson Benson, a Nashville-based insurance and risk management company in the meetings and events space, to collaborate on event cancellation insurance and risk management policy options to protect destination orga- nizations of all sizes. The program will be exclusively avail- able to Destinations International members and members’ clients around the world. The program would include cov- erage to protect budgeted costs and expenses or revenue should an event be canceled, abandoned or disrupted due to reasons beyond the destination organization’s control. MASHANTUCKET, CT — Foxwoods Resort Casino has opened its newly renovated Rainmaker Expo Center. The center, which spans 47,075 sf, can accommodate up to 5,000 attendees and can be used for trade shows, corporate meetings and functions, sport- ing events and specialty Foxwoods activations. The Expo Center boasts a range of new features, including 43, 65-inch customizable monitors throughout the space, a 2,100-sf breakout room that can be used for meetings or meals, an extensive pre-function area with six registration counters and a soon-to-be-opened outdoor patio. SPOKANE, WA — Visit Spokane has named Maureen Dodroe as its interim president & CEO. Outgoing CEO Meg Winchester retired January 1. Dodroe grew up in Spokane and has been the director of finance since August 2012. “Maureen is an excel- lent choice to put at the helm of Visit Spokane while the search for a replace- ment for Meg Winchester takes place,” says Meg Barbieri, Visit Spokane Board chair. “Maureen is well versed in the inner workings of the destination marketing organization, and will seamlessly lead the staff through this transition.” Butch Spyridon, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. CEO, to Retire Destinations International to Offer Event Cancellation Insurance Foxwoods Resort Casino Opens Newly Renovated Rainmaker Expo Center Visit Spokane Names Maureen Dodroe Interim CEO Spyridon Dodroe KaramatRoss 7SNAPSHOTS themeetingmagazines.com 8 ASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 2023 1. Charles Starks, President & CEO, Music City Center; Patrick Delaney, Managing Partner, SoolNua; Harvey Grotsky, President/CEO/ Publisher, Coastal Communications Corporation; Sherrif Karamat, President & CEO, PCMA; Brian Ross, President & CEO, Experience Columbus 2. Tom Noonan, President & CEO, Visit Austin; Jay Burress, President & CEO, Visit Anaheim 3. Kelly Cavers, Chief Sales Officer, Discover The Palm Beaches; Michael Tarr, National Director, Convention Sales, Midwest, Mountain & Northwest Regions, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board 4. Vickie Keliher, Director of National Accounts, Visit Orlando; Cathy Ryan, Founder & President, Passport Meetings LLC; Mike Waterman, Chief Sales Officer, Visit Orlando 5. Julianne Touhy, Program Manager - Meetings and Events, American Society of Plastic Surgeons; Adam DePiro, V.P. of Convention Sales, Visit Tampa Bay 6. Canadian booth team members, including Chantal Sturk-Nadeau, Executive Director, Business Events, Destination Canada, (far right) 7. The Meet Boston booth 1 3 2 5 7 4 6 PCMA CONVENING LEADERS 2023 JANUARY 8-11, 2023 | GREATER COLUMBUS CONVENTION CENTERJANUARY 2023 themeetingmagazines.com 9 ASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES 8. Don Welsh, President & CEO, Destinations International 9. Nancy Umansky, National Account Director, Destination DC; Sarah Dvorak, Meetings Manager, American Association of Orthodontists; Melissa Riley, V.P., Convention Sales & Services, Destination DC; Libby Dischert, V.P. of Education & Events, American Association of Orthodontists 10. Brad Dean, CEO, Discover Puerto Rico 11. Freddie Peterson, General Manager, Miami Beach Convention Center; David Whitaker, President & CEO, Greater Miami CVB; Carol Motley, S.V.P. of Convention Sales & Services, Greater Miami CVB 12. Rebecca Cranor, Independent Meeting Planner; Kelly Saling, S.V.P. & Chief Sales Officer, Visit Seattle; Troy Anderson, Director of Sales, Visit Seattle 13. Bob Jameson, President & CEO, Visit Fort Worth; Deidre Clemmons, V.P. of Enterprise Sales, ASAE; Brittany Harris, Account Manager, ASAE 14. Tim Hemphill, V.P. of Sales, Marketing & Events, New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center; Stephanie Turner, S.V.P. of Convention Sales & Strategies, New Orleans & Company, Walt Leger, President & CEO, New Orleans & Company 15. Gregg Caren, President & CEO, Philadelphia CVB; Al Hutchinson, President & CEO, Visit Baltimore 16. Cleo Battle, President & CEO, Louisville Tourism; Doug Bennett, E.V.P., Louisville Tourism; Angie Silberhorn, Events Director, Water Quality Association; Sonia Fong, S.V.P. of Convention Development, Louisville Tourism 8 11 13 14 15 10 12 16 9Next >