AIAI IN MEETING IN MEETING PLANNINGPLANNING PAGE 18 IN THIS ISSUE 2024: THE YEAR AHEAD CAREER PATHS EVENT VISUALS THAT ENGAGE FIVE-STAR F&B FLORIDA ARIZONA AMERICA’S PREMIER CONVENTION CENTERS SPECIAL SECTION PAGE 39 DepositPhotos.com A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION JANUARY 2024 VOL. 17 NO. 1 $15.00A RENAISSANCE OF Space and Service For nearly 25 years, The Venetian ® Resort Las Vegas has been inspiring attendees, and we can’t wait to show you what’s next. Over $1 billion is being invested in every facet of our guest experience. We are dedicating $188 million to transforming our convention space into a modern renaissance of Italian grandeur. Spaces will be more customizable with cutting-edge technology and offer impeccable service that’s synonymous with The Venetian Resort. Join us as we celebrate our past while reinventing the future of meetings. Visit venetianmeetings.com to find out more.34 DEPARTMENTS DESTINATIONS FEATURES 56 62 26 18 14 12 The Year Ahead Signs point to a positive 2024 BY MICHELLE MASON, FASAE, CAE 14 The Meetings Industry Taking Bold Strides Toward Sustainability BY CHRISTINE LOOMIS 18 New Tech Tools AI in Meeting Planning BY RAYNA KATZ 22 Culture Fit Where DEI Goals & Hiring Meet BY MAURA KELLER 26 Career Paths How to Become an Association Meeting Planner BY MAURA KELLER 30 Event Tools: Part Art, Part Science Visuals That Engage Your Attendees BY MAURA KELLER 34 Five-Star Dining Despite F&B Rising Costs, Planners Must WOW! Meeting Attendees BY NANCY MUELLER 4 Publisher’s Message 6 News & Notes 8 PCMA Highlights Everything PCMA Announced During Convening Leaders 2024 10 Snapshots: Scene at PCMA 66 Career Track 56 Florida Bright Future for the Sunshine State BY MARLENE GOLDMAN 62 Arizona Amazing Sights + Sounds + Wide-Open Spaces + Super Cities BY KEITH LORIA AMERICA’S PREMIER CONVENTION CENTERS SPECIAL SECTION PAGE 39 ISSN 21628831 | USPS 003500 | A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION | JANUARY 2024 | VOLUME 17 | NUMBER 1 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 20243 ISSUECONTENTSA COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Harvey Grotsky harvey.grotsky @ themeetingmagazines.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kristin Bjornsen kristin.bjornsen @ themeetingmagazines.com MANAGING EDITOR Maritza Cosano maritza.cosano@themeetingmagazines.com EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Rachel Galvin rachel.galvin @ themeetingmagazines.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Alana Castillas Cynthia Dial Marlene Goldman Dan Johnson Maura Keller Christine Loomis Kathy Monte David Swanson PRESIDENT & CEO Harvey Grotsky VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS David Middlebrook david.middlebrook @ themeetingmagazines.com ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES 2500 N. Military Trail, Suite 283 Boca Raton, FL 33431-6322 561-989-0600 Fax: 561-989-9509 advertising@themeetingmagazines.com REGIONAL MANAGERS Bob Mitchell 630-541-3388 bob.mitchell@themeetingmagazines.com Lisa Turner 941-400-7419 lisa.turner@themeetingmagazines.com DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS Michael Caffin 914-629-5860 michael.caffin@themeetingmagazines.com Association Conventions & Facilities is published bi-monthly by Coastal Communications Corporation, 2500 North Military Trail — Suite 283, Boca Raton, FL 33431-6322; 561-989-0600. Single copies $13.00 U.S.A. only. Yearly subscription price is $65.00 in the U.S.A. Canada and foreign is $135.00. Back copies $14.00 plus shipping and handling, U.S.A. only. Distributed without charge to qualified personnel. Periodicals Postage Paid at Boca Raton, FL, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send Form 3579 address changes to Association Conventions & Facilities, 2500 North Military Trail — Suite 283, Boca Raton, FL 33431- 6322. Nothing contained in this publication shall constitute an endorsement by Coastal Communications Corporation (Association Conventions & Facilities), and the publication disclaims any liability with respect to the use of or reliance on any such information. The information contained in this publication is in no way to be construed as a recommendation by AC&F of any industry standard, or as a recommendation of any kind to be adopted by or to be binding upon any advertiser or subscriber. Reproduction of any portion of this publication by any means is strictly forbidden. Editorial contributions must be accompanied by return postage and will be handled with reasonable care. However, the publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited photographs or manuscripts. Subscribers: Send subscription inquiries and address changes to: Circulation Department, Association Conventions & Facilities, 2500 North Military Trail — Suite 283, Boca Raton, FL 33431-6322. 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. ©2024 Harvey Grotsky Publisher With seven waterfront hotels, abundant dockside dining, and reception- ready yachts that are perfect for networking events, plus 100,000+ sq ft of unique indoor and outdoor event space, Marina del Rey strikes the perfect balance between L.A.’s chic sophistication and Southern California’s laid-back coastal style – all just four miles north of LAX. groups@visitmdr.com I VisitMDR.com linkedin.com/company/ ACFacilities @ACFacilities @ACFacilities facebook.com/ ACFacilities linkedin.com/company/ ACFacilities @ACFacilities @ACFacilities facebook.com/ ACFacilities FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 2024 PUBLISHER’SMESSAGE 4 Are You Ready For Change? H ave you thought about how things are changing around us and in des- tinations around the world? As a professional meeting and convention planner, is it causing you to have feelings of uncertainty or resistance when planning your events? Change can be good and also can be bad. However, professional planners will build upon change and create remarkable and successful events. Our industry is constantly evolving and sometimes that can be very challenging due to unforeseen situations such as supplier strikes, weather and unexpected airline delays. Our industry is known for resilience as planners embrace new opportunities by making the necessary adjustments to take a negative and turn it into a posi- tive situation. The willingness to change is required to succeed. Adapting to the selection of a new venue such as a hotel or convention center can prove to be stress- ful, but working with new partners with flexibility can bring new experiences for planners and attendees. If you are afraid of change because with change always comes risk, you should break tradition, make the change and move forward to build successful events. Be sure to check out America’s Premier Convention Centers and hotels in this issue — some new, some newly renovated — all are ready to make your event a success. Be sure to take a look at how AI is working in the meeting planning process. Also, our story on Food & Beverage makes some successful, tempting suggestions. Let’s hope that this year brings change, for the better!With seven waterfront hotels, abundant dockside dining, and reception- ready yachts that are perfect for networking events, plus 100,000+ sq ft of unique indoor and outdoor event space, Marina del Rey strikes the perfect balance between L.A.’s chic sophistication and Southern California’s laid-back coastal style – all just four miles north of LAX. groups@visitmdr.com I VisitMDR.comthemeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 20246 NEWS & NOTES “Tampa Bay Your Way” Giveaway TAMPA, FL — From now until March 30, Visit Tampa Bay has a “Tampa Bay Your Way” Giveaway. One lucky meeting professional and a guest will receive complimentary airfare, three nights’ hotel accommodation, concert, or event tickets and two restaurant gift cards. Snap a photo with one of the Visit Tampa Bay outdoor ads in Bos- ton, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, New York or Washington, D.C. Post that picture to Instagram or Facebook and tag @VisitTampaBay, or email Sales@ VisitTampaBay.com. Everyone who enters will receive a $50 gift card to the Unlock Tampa Bay Visitors Center. For more information, visit visittampabay.com/your-way. Conrad Orlando Now Open ORLANDO, FL — Conrad Orlando has now open for business. Nestled within Evermore Orlando Resort’s 1,100-acre property and located less than three miles from Walt Disney World, the 433- room Conrad Orlando features five dis- tinct dining venues; the serene Conrad Spa Orlando and Water Garden; Ever- more Bay, an 8-acre crystalline lagoon and expansive pool complex; and more than 65,000 sf of technology-focused indoor and outdoor meeting space. This includes two dedicated ballrooms, seven divisible meeting rooms, two expan- sive terraces, the Lotus Boardroom and the multipurpose, turfed 9,000 sf Lyonia Lawn. For more information, visit hilton.com/ en/hotels/orlcici-conrad-orlando. Registration Opens for IMEX Frankfurt 2024 FRANKFURT, GERMANY — Registra- tion is now open for IMEX Frankfurt, which will take place May 14-16 at Messe Frankfurt. There will be an impressive roster of speakers from around the globe, a focus on topics like AI, event marketing, new avenues for market- ing like TikTok and other trends. IMEX Group CEO Carina Bauer, said, “We’ve designed IMEX Frankfurt to help event professionals build powerful, global relationships and deliver wide-reaching business impact. Our rallying cry to our community — whether seasoned pro- fessionals or new faces is — let’s go!” For more information, visit imex- frankfurt.com. DENVER, CO — The Colorado Convention Center Expansion Project is now com- plete and open for business. The expan- sion includes the new 80,000 sf Bluebird Ballroom, which can be subdivided into 19 rooms of various sizes, as well as 35,000 sf of wrap-around pre-function concourse space and a 20,000 sf outdoor rooftop terrace. The expansion integrates with the existing building, providing easy access to its 600,000 sf of exhibit space, 105,000 sf of meeting space and two existing ball- rooms of 50,000 sf and 35,000 sf, respec- tively, in addition to the 5,000-seat Bellco Theatre. For more information, visit den- verconvention.com. Colorado Convention Center Expansion, Complete & OpenJANUARY 2024 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES 7 CENTRE’D AROUND YOU. Make an impact with your next event at Boise Centre. Our versatile meeting and event spaces, modern amenities, and expert event planning team is at your service to ensure an unforgettable event experience. Located in the middle of the city’s energetic, walkable downtown Boise Centre is surrounded by local breweries, restaurants, shops, hotels and is minutes from outdoor adventures. boisecentre.com • Convenient downtown location • Numerous direct flights and seven minutes from the airport • Surrounded by restaurants, breweries, and nightlife • Over 1,300 hotel rooms within walking distance • Outdoor activities close by hiking, rafting, biking, and more ORLANDO, FL — Caribe Royale Orlando resort has announced the grand opening of Stadium Club, the resort’s high-tech and immersive experiential sports and dining des- tination. The one-of-a-kind venue seamlessly blends the exhilaration of sports with the allure of high-energy entertainment, alongside an elevated, chef-driven menu of upscale takes on classic dishes and cocktails. The two-floor venue spans over 9,000 sf, with an AV experience that pro- vides immersive viewing no matter where you are. A 360 degree view of top sports along with an interac- tive host makes it feel more like a live sporting event. For information, visit cariberoyale.com. Signia by Hilton Debuts Flagship Hotel in Downtown Atlanta ATLANTA, GA — Hilton announced the highly anticipated opening of the 976- room Signia by Hilton Atlanta, marking the first new build and Georgia hotel for the Signia by Hil- ton brand, and Atlanta’s larg- est ground-up hotel develop- ment project in 40 years. The hotel fea- tures 100,000 sf of meeting space, includ- ing the largest ballroom in Georgia, a grand outdoor deck and lawn and Club Signia. Built on the repurposed foundation of the Georgia dome, the hotel also has eight food and beverage offer- ings, a spa, beauty bar, rooftop pool and fitness center. Find out more at signiaby- hiltonatlanta.com. Stadium Club Opens At Caribe Royale OrlandoP CMA and CEMA President and CEO Sherrif Karamat, CAE highlighted the global business events industry’s growth and transformation during a business keynote during Convening Leaders 2024 in San Diego, CA. Emphasizing the importance of thinking bigger and beyond traditional mandates post-pandemic, PCMA has expanded its event portfolio through acquisitions, part- nerships, and new products, aiming to deliver a better experi- ence for the global business events industry. “By 2025, PCMA plans to connect with over 10,000 busi- ness event professionals at live events on four continents, with a global community exceeding 35,000 people,” said Karamat. “We are thinking bigger, we are thinking bolder and always aiming to be better, not because we can, but because we must in order to make our community’s world a better place.” PCMA’s expansion and its commitment to sustainability were highlighted, along with updates to AI startup Spark, co-founded with Gevme, to enhance event productivity. Lyn Lewis-Smith, CEO of Business Events Sydney, joined Karamat to address the gender disparity in leadership within the indus- try, proposing a coalition to advance women into senior roles. The session concluded with announcements of future initia- tives, including the industry’s first Sustainability and Climate Summit in Barcelona and the inaugural Convening LATAM in Bogota, Colombia, reflecting PCMA’s global influence and dedication to driving industry advancement. The following is a summary of key announcements: SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE TECH In 2023, PCMA announced a partnership with the Ameri- can Geophysical Union (AGU) which has since delivered on multiple initiatives, including workshops, sessions and approaches to strategy. PCMA appointed its first head of global sustainability and announced a partnership with the Strategic Alliance of National Convention Bureaux in Europe (SANCBE) representing 29 countries. Through these partnerships and investments, the industry’s first Sustainability and Climate Summit will be held in conjunc- tion with Convening EMEA in Barcelona October 2–3, 2024. Karamat noted, “We will examine how today’s climate technology not only mitigates our environmental impact, but also opens doors to new efficiencies and opportunities in the world of business events.” VIEW POINT Everything PCMA Announced During Convening Leaders 2024 PCMA Highlights Focus on Sustainability, Leadership, AI, and Global Growth 8 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 20242024 will be the catalyst for future editions, formats and continued engagement with the global business events com- munity. Further details will be available in the coming months including the program, how to engage and what to expect. ADVANCING WOMEN IN BUSINESS EVENTS LEADERSHIP The PCMA Foundation and Business Events Sydney (BESydney) released the first of its two-part findings of a new global study into Advancing Women in Business Events. Last year, research was conducted to explore the pronounced gen- der gap in the global business events industry. PCMA and BESydney believe that a diverse and inclusive leadership team is not just a strategic advantage, but a funda- mental necessity for the industry’s sustained success. By fos- tering an environment that values and promotes the unique perspectives and talents of women, both organizations aim to set a standard for excellence and innovation. “The World Economic Forum last year predicted it would be 131 years until gender parity could be achieved globally. This is unacceptable, and as leaders of an industry with a strong female talent pool, we need to take collective and bold action to accelerate progress towards equitable leadership for all,” said Lyn Lewis Smith, Chief Executive Officer, BESydney. “Whether it’s diversity of gender, or of race, age, ability or cultural back- ground, new and alternate perspectives are the backbone of innovation and good decision-making. Diversity in Board and CEO leadership ranks isn’t just the right thing to do, it makes good economic sense for our sector’s resilience globally.” Part II of the report, scheduled for release later in the first quarter of 2024, will present recommendations for actions that companies and individuals can implement to address the challenges outlined in the initial report released during Con- vening Leaders 2024. It also will present evidence for why women are ideally suited for leadership roles and why their leadership attributes and skills are critical to the success of the business events industry of the future. SPARK AI UPDATES Launched in 2023, Spark is now the go-to AI productivity tool for nearly 5,000 event organizers in more than 40 countries. Convene magazine reported that 64% of business event profes- sionals are currently using generative AI to manage their events. Corporations and organizations are now exploring how Spark can be integrated into their entire enterprise event operations. Spark Takeaways is the latest enhancement to the Spark platform. Introduced during Convening Leaders 2024, Spark Takeaways analyzes streaming content in real-time, distills pivotal insights and summaries and generates Key Takeaways, Idea Cloud, and a comprehensive Summary from live sessions. “The insights and ideas generated by Spark Takeaways are not only insightful, but also easily shareable,” said Vee- mal Gungadin, Gevme’s CEO. “This feature will amplify the reach of an event’s content and potentially make it go viral. Additionally, our commitment to inclusivity is evident in our multilingual capabilities. Participants can listen to a session in one language and access the takeaways in another.” Spark Takeaways was available to all CL24 participants at the end of the daily general sessions via a QR code on the mainstage screens. During Business Events Industry Week (BEIW) in Wash- ington, DC, Spark will host AgendAi, a workshop for event innovators and destination marketing technology trailblazers. It will bring clarity to what’s real and what matters now at the intersection of AI and business events. AgendAi will help par- ticipants understand which part of their business can benefit from generative AI and to craft their own AI-driven plans for productivity and performance with their business partners. Additional details will be available soon on the BEIW website. CONVENING LATAM 2025 PCMA will hold the inaugural Convening LATAM, the gateway to reimagining the possibilities of what transfor- mative economies can deliver in a united Latin America, in Bogota, Colombia. May 4-7, 2025. Convening LATAM 2025 will provide a unique opportu- nity for the business events industry to be part of LATAM’s transformative moment. Participants will gain compelling insights from thought leaders on event design, sustainability, innovation and audience engagement using AI within a col- laborative community. Over the next few months, PCMA will share additional program updates. “PCMA firmly believes in the pivotal role of business events in catalyzing social and economic transformation,” said Kara- mat. “In the dynamic landscape of LATAM, these events serve as catalysts for an evolutionary shift, ingeniously reshaping and redefining regional challenges into boundless opportunities.” GLOBAL EVENT PORTFOLIO PCMA’s global events portfolio is growing. By 2025, they will be connecting with over 10,000 business event professionals at live events on four continents. When you add in the people they engage with through courses, webinars, labs and chapter meet- ings, the PCMA global community exceeds 35,000. | AC&F | 9 JANUARY 2024 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES PHOTO BY DOUG STURGEON Sherrif Karamat, CAE, PCMA and CEMA President and CEONext >