Destination East is the premier hosted-buyer event for qualified meetings and incentive professionals sourcing programs in the East. Destination East will include destinations, hotels, DMCs, technology and merchandise providers, and other services provided in the Eastern U.S. Learn from, and be inspired by, our guest speakers who will provide targeted education specific to your needs…
Thrive: The Community Vitality Summit is where bold ideas meet purposeful action. This in-person gathering convenes destination leaders, changemakers and community stewards who are committed to creating places where everyone feels welcome, connected and valued. Formerly the Social Inclusion Summit, Thrive reflects an expanded vision to support vibrant, people-centered destinations by aligning the value of…
The Business Operations Summit is a cross-functional gathering of destination organization professionals in finance, human resources, operations and technology. This year’s summit will provide insight on post-pandemic recovery from an organizational perspective, focusing on new ways to think about how destination organizations are organized, staffed and operated. Sign Up for More Information: Be the first…
From Skift Meetings: The White House has proposed the largest single-year budget cut to NASA in U.S. history. As a result, space science and exploration are taking a hit — and so are the cornerstone conferences that support these efforts. NASA is facing a proposed 24% budget cut. The financial uncertainty is already hitting the…
It’s great to see a dramatic example of The Iceberg’s central metaphor on the cover of this book about the enormous impact and value of trade shows! It’s focused on the USA, but the arguments and insights are universal. Read a review from ExhibitCity News here. The Invisible Industry: The Evolution of Trade Shows can…
From Skift Meetings: Visa delays, funding cuts, and geopolitical tensions are driving scientific conferences out of the U.S. Some are relocating. Others are canceling. The International Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (IACBT) canceled its August 14-17 conference in Nashville — its first U.S. meeting in 40 years. Approximately 900 were expected. Organizers cited visa uncertainty,…
From PCMA: ABTS is seeing some troubling trends for international health-care events — some of which are due to global misperceptions of current realities in the US. After Convene sent out an email invitation to participate in our pulse survey with the subject line “Is Global Uncertainty Affecting Your Events?,” I received an email reply…
A record-setting group of 170 business and professional events industry leaders and advocates from 30 states met with more than 130 elected officials on Capitol Hill today as part of the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance’s (ECA) annual Legislative Action Day. “What happens in Washington, DC is critical to the competitiveness of our industry going forward,”…
Destination California — Northstar’s destination-specific hosted-buyer event — enables attendees to experience firsthand the most desirable destinations, hotels and activities for successful meetings, while making invaluable business connections. This unique event is hosted by Northstar Meetings Group’s leading brands—Successful Meetings, Meetings & Conventions, and Incentive magazine.
Join your industry peers for the must attend hosted-buyer event bringing together the most highly-qualified meeting and incentive buyers with top destinations, hotels/resorts, attractions, DMCs, DMOs, technology and merchandise providers, and tourism offices from the Midwest U.S. Meet buyers who are ready to book business in: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North…
Destination Southeast — Northstar’s destination-specific hosted-buyer event — brings together the most highly-qualified meeting and incentive buyers with top destinations, hotels/resorts, cruise lines, attractions, DMCs, DMOs, technology and merchandise providers, and tourism offices from the Southeastern states including: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Attendees…
Northstar Meetings Group’s Luxury & Wellness Meetings event connects North American planners seeking luxury or wellness-focused venues for their meetings or incentives. Those who are selected to attend will participate in: Two productive days of pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings with suppliers; Insightful educational presentations from inspiring speakers; Great meals, receptions, and numerous networking opportunities with other…
From TSNN: Following the acquisitions of POSSIBLE and HLTH in the last 12 months, global event organizer Hyve Group has acquired Manifest, a fast-growing, global event for the supply chain and logistics sector, from Connectiv Holdings. The move comes as the U.S. retail logistics sector is projected to grow to $109.31 billion by 2030, up…
From Skift Meetings, by Andrea Doyle: A temporary U.S.-China tariff rollback is offering short-term relief for the global events industry, which has suffered under trade tensions that disrupted supply chains, cut budgets, and cast a shadow over international shows. Greater Pacific, a 31-year-old U.S.-based promotional products supplier, had paused all projects after the tariffs took…
From NBC News: Business travel’s four-year crawl out the pandemic was on track to continue this year, but the US trade war has scrambled that outlook. “The big word is uncertainty,” said Suzanne Neufang, CEO of the Global Business Travel Association, which had forecast worldwide spending to surge to $1.64 trillion in 2025, up from…
From Skift Meetings: President Trump’s second term began with a series of executive orders that immediately impacted the meetings industry. On Inauguration Day, January 20, Trump signed the Executive Order, “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing.” It eliminates federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. All federal DEI staff were also placed…
From Irish Examiner: Academics are cancelling planned conferences and seminars in the US because of the risk of harassment and interrogation by immigration officials. That is the warning from Scott Lucas, professor of international politics at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin. It comes as immunologist Professor Luke O’Neill revealed he had “never been quizzed…
From Travel Weekly: Five members of the Brand USA board were reportedly fired by email on Friday, as the Trump Administration moves to mark its stamp on the US tourism industry. According to the industry title Skift, the decision came from the White House. The five members fired from the board were reportedly chair Elliott…
From ASAE: ASAE’s latest Insight Update report highlights how shifting federal policies are reshaping association meeting attendance, particularly international participation. Based on survey data from over 200 association CEOs across diverse sectors, the report examines the ripple effects of these changes, and the strategies associations are employing to adapt. This research is part of an…
ECA and its public policy counsel, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, have prepared the following detailed analysis of recent tariff developments and what they mean for the business and professional events industry. Please bookmark this page for future updates as circumstances warrant. On April 17, the Office of the United States Trade Representative took action…
From Skift Meetings: Tariffs are impacting the live events industry, and the Live Events Coalition and its allies are stepping up pressure on lawmakers to act. AV and production equipment, raw materials, decor, furnishings, food and beverage, and technology will all increase in cost, said Wendy Porter, vice chair of government affairs for the Live…
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