Consumer Technology Association® photo A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION MAY 2024 VOL. 42 NO. 5 $20.00 IN THIS ISSUE CVB UPDATE MOUNTAIN MEETINGS HOW TO GAUGE EVENT ROI MEETING PLANNER ETHICS LAS VEGAS Page 40 Influencer MarketingTHEOMNIHOMESTEAD.COM | .. A destination for the most rewarding gatherings. Meaningful moments start here. Elevate your next gathering with inspiring vistas, exceptional service, and stand-out amenities. From memorable venues to exquisite culinary experiences, and more than 40 recreational activities like zip lining, archery, mountain biking, and the historic Warm Springs Pools, The Omni Homestead is America’s premier destination for meetings and incentive events. Extraordinary experiences for achievements. exceptionalVOLUME 42 NO. 5 | MAY 2024 | ISSN 0739-1587 | USPS 716-450 14 22 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 4 Publisher’s Message 6 News & Notes 10 Perspective How to Design More Interactive, Engaging Events BY SCOTT STEINBERG 66 People on the Move departments destinations features Las Vegas A Business One-Stop Shop BY DAN JOHNSON & MARITZA COSANO TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | May 2024 3 Target ROI Getting the Most Return Out of Today’s Events BY MAURA KELLER Mountain Magic Harnessing Nature’s Power & Beauty to Inspire Attendees BY CHRISTINE LOOMIS CVB Showcase Meet the CVBs Elevating Events BY CHRISTINE LOOMIS IN THIS ISSUE Data Privacy Security for Event Attendees BY ERIN DEINZER Business Ethics Transparency in the Meetings Industry BY MAURA KELLER Influencer Marketing Event Tactics That Boost Reach BY MAURA KELLER Experiential Event Design How Millennials Are Redefining, Redesigning Events BY MARLENE GOLDMAN Remote Work No Place Like Home BY RAYNA KATZ Event Contracts Ensuring What’s Promised BY RAYNA KATZ 14 56 44Corporate & Incentive Travel (USPS 716-450) is published monthly by Coastal Communications Corporation, 2500 North Military Trail — Suite 283, Boca Raton, FL 33431-6322; 561-989-0600. Single copies $20.00 U.S.A. only. Yearly subscription price is $140.00 in the U.S.A.; Canada and foreign is $175.00. Back copies $17.00 U.S.A. only. Distributed without charge to qualified personnel. Periodicals Postage Paid at Boca Raton, FL, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Corporate & Incentive Travel, 2500 North Military Trail — Suite 283, Boca Raton, FL 33431-6322. Nothing contained in this publication shall constitute an endorsement by Coastal Communications Corporation (Corporate & Incentive Travel), 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 C&IT of any industry standard, or as a recommendation of any kind to be adopted, by or to be binding upon, any corporate/incentive travel planner or agent. 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, Corporate & Incentive Travel, 2500 North Military Trail — Suite 283, Boca Raton, FL 33431-6322. Provide old and new addresses including zip codes. Enclose address label from most recent issue and please allow five weeks for the change to become effective. Printed in U.S.A. © 2024 Positive Indicators for Meetings Economic forecasting would hardly be what it is today if one didn’t find dif- fering viewpoints at every turn. Perhaps we should say “at every upturn” because while some are painting a rosy picture of the positive effects of economic recovery after the pandemic, others are painting in dark hues. At worst, we can probably look for satisfactory operating results in many seg- ments of the economy this year. And with the election this fall, with potential new leadership, the meetings industry is not just set to reach new highs, but to soar to unprecedented levels. The oil and energy industries will continue to struggle as transportation, especially airlines, will have to deal with high operating costs. On the other hand, if the sluggish economy accelerates more dramatically and if inflation comes down, business travel will increase in the meetings and incentive travel sectors. In this scenario, plan- ning and budgets will continue to be subject to strict monitoring. In any case, the pandemic has not just pro- duced a flurry of creative strategies throughout the meetings industry, but it has sparked an innovative fervor that is here to stay. These changes are not temporary fixes, but long-term solutions that will continue to shape our industry. Despite some bumps in the road, there are other positive indications for a healthy year. The emphasis on face-to-face meetings and conferences makes business travel at least moderately recession-proof. Incentive travel, which is psychologically appealing even in recessionary economic cycles, has never been more viable, both because of the sophistication of incentive companies and today’s winners. PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE // A 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 Erin Deinzer Cynthia Dial Marlene Goldman Dan Johnson Rayna Katz Maura Keller Christine Loomis Keith Loria 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 4 May 2024 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com Harvey Grotsky Publisher FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA linkedin.com/company/ CorpIncTravel @CorpIncTravel @CorpIncTravel facebook.com/ CorpIncTravelTake center stage on your next event and escape the everyday in a truly extraordinary getaway with limitless possibilities. Contact our Sales Team today to learn more and book your group. 800.937.0156 | HardRockHolly.com | #GuitarHotel DISCOVER YOUR RHYTHM. © 2023 . If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please call 1-888-ADMIT.IT. FINE-TUNE YOUR NEXT MEETING.NEWS + NOTES // 6 May 2024 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com WYNDHAM BRINGS REWARDS TO ITS BUSINESS PROGRAM, SIMPLIFIES BUSINESS TRAVEL PARSIPPANY, NJ — Wyndham has expanded its free-to-join Wyndham Rewards® Business, a B2B extension of Wyndham’s top-rated rewards pro- gram known for both its simplicity and generosity. Enrolled companies can now earn points on qualified business stays while continuing to take advantage of a range of existing, and in many cases newly enhanced, benefits including room discounts, direct billing, hands-on account sup- port and more. To find out more in- formation about this new program, visit WyndhamBusiness.com. LAS VEGAS, NV — Coinciding with its 25th birthday, The Vene- tian Resort Las Vegas unveils a $1.5 billion reinvestment project. Following the recent launches of HaSalon, Voltaire Belle de Nuit, and Sphere at The Venetian, the resort’s comprehensive reimag- ining touches everything from rebranding to a redesign of its suites. Available for stays begin- ning September 2024, all suites in The Venetian towers, including signature suites, will be updated. There will be new culinary con- cepts announced later this year, in addition to new gaming offer- ings, including The Palazzo High Limit Lounge, the fully rede- signed sportsbook complete with a multi-year naming rights part- nership with Yahoo, the Yahoo Sportsbook powered by William Hill and a brand-new poker room debuting this summer. As part of the redevelopment, The Venetian Resort made a commitment to in- vest $188M in the renovation of the Convention Center, beginning this summer. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Destina- tions International (DI) has named Tourism Economics as its newest Pinnacle Partner. This will allow DI and its members to further lever- age Tourism Economics’ specialized economic knowledge, supporting the growth and effectiveness of des- tination organizations worldwide. Tourism Economics has played an instrumental role in the creation and enhancement of the Event Impact Calculator (EIC), the gold standard tool used by over 350 global organi- zations. The EIC enables destination organizations and CVBs to quantify the economic value of events and their return on investment to local taxes, bolstering the case for the de- velopment and growth of the events and meetings sectors. They also launched a high-frequency analysis of workforce dynamics, found with- in their Symphony intelligence plat- form, in response to the critical need for additional insights amid tour- ism’s recovery. For more informa- tion, visit tourismeconomics.com. Courtesy Photo DESTINATIONS INTERNATIONAL ELEVATES PARTNERSHIP WITH TOURISM ECONOMICS AT U.S. TRAVEL’S IPW, LEADERS SAY GOVERNMENT MUST INCREASE FOCUS TO ACHIEVE TRAVEL GROWTH LOS ANGELES — At U.S. Trav- el’s IPW, association president and CEO Geoff Freeman shared a vision to make travel a national priority, solve barriers to visitation growth and become the most-visited na- tion in the world. “It should be our national goal to be nothing short of number one in terms of visitor ar- rivals, spend and experience,” Free- man said, adding that long waits for visas, lengthy waits at customs and an air traffic control system that challenged to meet demand are constraining their ambitions. “Achieving travel growth will re- quire a sustained focus by govern- ment and industry to address fric- tions and improve the process for travelers,” says Freeman. THE VENETIAN RESORT LAS VEGAS UNVEILS ITS LARGEST, MOST EXPENSIVE HOTEL RENOVATIONDALLAS, TX — Due to their fi- nancial results reported in the first quarter, Southwest Airlines Co. has decided to drop four airports. Bob Jordan, president and CEO, stated: “The recent news from Boeing regarding further aircraft delivery delays presents signifi- cant challenges for both 2024 and 2025. We are reacting and replan- ning quickly to mitigate the opera- tional and financial impacts while maintaining dependable and reli- able flight schedules for our cus- tomers. To improve our financial performance, we have intensified our network optimization efforts to address underperforming mar- kets. Consequently, we have made the difficult decision to close our operations at Bellingham Interna- tional Airport, Cozumel Interna- tional Airport, Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Syracuse Hancock International Airport.” Jordan also outlined oth- er measures they are taking. ATLANTA, GA — Dropping “CNN Center” from its fame to reflect the news station’s departure from downtown, Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park has announced a comprehensive rebranding and renovation. Their 600 rooms in the North Tower will be renovated, including their Presidential Suite, Governors Suite and Executive Suites, and they have introduced a collection of signature themed suites. The property, which is di- rectly connected to the Georgia World Congress Center, State Farm Arena and Chick-Fil-A College Football Hall of Fame, has 120,000 sf of event space. They have 45 state-of-the-art meeting rooms and the space can accommodate up to 2,200 attendees in the largest ball- room. For more information, visit omnihotels.com/hotels/atlanta- centennial-park. LONGBOAT KEY, FL — St. Regis Hotels & Resorts announces the highly anticipated summer open- ing of The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort on a Sarasota barrier island. Sitting on 18 beachfront acres, near the city’s charming downtown, the resort offers 168 guest rooms and over 34,000 sf of flexible meet- ings and events space. The St. Re- gis Longboat Key will follow the brand’s legacy as a gathering place for celebrations, events and meet- ings of all kinds. The resort also boasts legendary sunsets, excep- tional culinary offerings and an immersive marine experience, in addition to the unparalleled per- sonalized service that St. Regis is known for. Registration is now open. Visit marriott.com/en-us/ hotels/srqls-the-st-regis-longboat- key-resort/overview. Courtesy Photo Courtesy Photo SOUTHWEST AIRLINES DROPS FOUR AIRPORTS THE NEWLY RENAMED OMNI ATLANTA HOTEL UNDERGOES RENOVATION & REBRANDING RESERVATIONS ARE OPEN AT THE ST. REGIS LONGBOAT KEY RESORT BRIGHTLINE BREAKS GROUND IN NEVADA LAS VEGAS, NV — The railroad Brightline has broken ground in Nevada on its new Brightline West project, which will use trains traveling up to 200 miles per hour to cut the travel time between Las Vegas and Los Angeles in half. The company already operates 16 passenger trains between Mi- ami and Orlando, and aims to launch Brightline West service in time for the 2028 Olympics. Alongside Brightline West, other American high-speed rail projects are under construc- tion or in development. The California High Speed Rail Au- thority plans to connect the Bay Area to Los Angeles. Am- trak partnered with Texas Central to add a high-speed line between Dallas and Houston. Other projects are underway. Courtesy Photo TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | May 2024 7NEWS + NOTES // 8 May 2024 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com WELLNESS INFUSED MEETINGS AWAIT AT JW MARRIOTT MARCO ISLAND MARCO ISLAND, FL — The JW Mar- riott Marco Island Beach Resort in southwest Florida is home to bespoke, wellness-centered meetings and group events. Planners can enjoy program- ming options such as sunrise beach Yoga, Yoga Nidra practitioner-led sleep classes, private ‘Zen Den’ rooms with ASMR elements, nutrition-forward Chef Curated Small Plates for meal ser- vices, guided naturalist walks and more. Their creative team building events include beach clean ups, sailing and shelling tours, shoreside Sip and Paint sessions, mixology classes and chef-led cooking demos. They also offer 100,000 sf of indoor and outdoor event space, including the Calusa Ballroom with expansive views of the Gulf of Mexico. For more information, visit marriott. com/en-us/hotels/mrkfl-jw-marriott- marco-island-beach-resort/overview. NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS — Baha Mar will play host to the Incentive Research Foundation’s (IRF) 2024 Invitational taking place from May 28-31. During the incentive indus- try’s premier knowledge exchange, IRF will welcome over 500 indus- try professionals to partake in four days of noteworthy educational pro- gramming, featuring IRF research and insights from industry experts. The Invitational attracts the top de- cision makers and suppliers in the incentives industry. Throughout the event attendees will enjoy dazzling evening receptions, including the live and silent auctions where they can bid on luxury travel packages, products and services. Invitational activities, including meals, recep- tions, education programming and IRF’s famous Cabana Day network- ing event, will be split among Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, SLS Baha Mar and Rosewood Baha Mar. To learn more about Baha Mar, visit: www.baha- mar.com. For more information on IRF, visit theirf.org. CHICAGO, IL — Choose Chicago closed out successful business meet- ings and promotion of Chicago at IPW 2024, held in Los Angeles May 3 – 7. Leading a delegation of the city’s hospitality, tourism and civic leaders, Choose Chicago laid the groundwork for next year’s IPW, which will be hosted in Chicago June 14 – 18, 2025. Exhibiting partners present at IPW 2024 included major attractions such as 360 CHICAGO, Chicago Archi- tecture Center, Chicago Cubs, Field Museum, and others, ensuring that Chicago’s unique offerings were front and center throughout the event. Key statistics from IPW 2024: • 5,700 delegates participated, including 2,000 international buyers and over 600 media rep- resentatives from 70 countries attended. • The Choose Chicago team en- gaged in over 250 appointments with industry professionals and conducted more than 100 in- terviews and appointments with domestic and international me- dia. Visit choosechicago.com/ ipw2025/ for more information on IPW 2025 in Chicago. Courtesy Photo CHOOSE CHICAGO TAKES CENTER STAGE AT IPW 2024 IN LOS ANGELES BAHA MAR TO HOST INCENTIVE RESEARCH FOUNDATION’S 2024 INVITATIONAL AIRLINE CREDIT CARD REWARD PROGRAMS UNDER INVESTIGATION WASHINGTON, D.C. — Credit cards that offer airline rewards could be subject to new transpar- ency rules, following a recent pub- lic hearing co-hosted by the De- partment of Transportation and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The agencies are investi- gating whether airline credit cards are following through on the offers they promise or engaging in bait- and-switch tactics. They are look- ing at ways to improve the fairness, transparency and predictability of airline rewards programs. Most airlines make more money off co- branded credit cards than selling passenger seats. Courtesy Photo |TERRANEA COM|TERRANEA ON THE COAST OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Oceanfront CELEBRATIONS From festive coastal feasts, to happening holiday parties, to memorable merriment along the Pacific – with ample event space and dining venues, discover the perfect destination to make spirits bright.Next >