Corporate Event News

According to a recent survey by event technology giant Cvent, it seems that a lot of corporate event planners are juggling more work beyond booking and building out their organizations’ events. Released in October, the 2025 Planner Sourcing Report found that 66 percent of the 500-plus responding planners say they’ll handle sourcing for more meetings in 2025 than in 2024—but more than 70 percent are also involved in sourcing hotels for and otherwise managing their company’s preferred transient hotel program. Want more key insights from Cvent’s 2025 Planner Sourcing Report? Check out this article by Rob Carey, originally published in our sister publication, MeetingsNet, here: https://lnkd.in/ees5tdVS #corporateevents #meetings #eventprofs #meetingsandevents

What do corporate event organizers need to know about Orlando, Fla.? In mid-October, CEN's Danica Tormohlen spent 72 hours in the Sunshine State to discover what’s new for attendees and exhibitors in the theme park capital of the world, as well to find out what’s trending for meetings and events. Here’s what we learned on the ground with: Visit Orlando Orange County Convention Center Conrad Hotels & Resorts Orlando Live! at the Pointe Orlando Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Orlando Evermore Orlando Resort Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin See pics from all of these venues and read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gZVBMEpY

It’s now or never. This is your last chance to lock in your spot at Connect Winter Marketplace—the event where serious connections, game-changing deals, and next-level insights set you up to dominate 2025. Miss it, and you’re already playing catch-up. Finish the year strong and get ahead of the game. Visit the 🔗 below to register ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eXQrnitJ #ConnectWMP #eventprofs #eventsindustry #networkingevents

Looking for some meeting and event design inspiration? Look no further than TEDNext, a new three-day, future-focused TED Conferences series designed to explore personal and societal growth. Held Oct. 22-24 at Pullman Yards in Atlanta, the inaugural event attracted 1,000 entrepreneurs, executives, artists, educators, scientists, philanthropists, thought leaders, and young professionals, and featured dynamic programming of more than 40 TED Talks and live musical performances, group activities, dinners, parties, hands-on workshops, immersive experiences, interactive exhibits, and comfortable spaces designed to inspire and foster connections among attendees. CEN's Lisa Plummer Savas had the chance to attend TEDNext on Oct. 23 - here are seven highlights that caught her eye: https://lnkd.in/eFq_Sp67 Monique Ruff-Bell #corporateevents #meetings #eventprofs #meetingsandevents

With annual events like Gartner’s Gartner It Symposium Xpo taking every inch of available space and even building additional temporary structures outside, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort is set to embark on the largest renovation and expansion in the property’s history, highlighted by the addition of 120,000 square feet of event space to its current meeting and convention floorplan. The $275 million expansion will bring the triplex’s total meeting space to 469,000 sq. ft. between its three buildings—the Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve, which opened in November 2021 with 349 rooms and a rooftop event space on its 14th floor. Last week, Corporate Event News VP of Group Content Danica Tormohlen toured the three properties with Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Complex Director of Sales and Marketing Jim Curtis while Gartner’s IT Symposium/Xpo was in the house. The annual event attracted more than 20,000 technology professionals, and is the largest event held at the complex. It has taken place at Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin for 34 years, Curtis told us. Check out pics of the three venues and Gartner's 2024 IT Xpo, and read more about what the project includes: https://lnkd.in/g_Wcx44F Thanks to hotel, PR and Visit Orlando team for their hospitality: Sean Verney, William Fink, Joel Kaiman, Katie Neumann, Greg Smith, Lisa Messina

In this challenging time in our society, many event organizers and attendees have undoubtedly faced the difficulty of planning or attending conferences in destinations that have passed legislation that don’t align with their values. While boycotting an event or a destination is an option for attendees or meeting organizers, there’s a strong argument to be made that bans are ineffective, harm local businesses, and stifle dialogue. Unsatisfied with boycotts, Beth Surmont, FASAE, CMP-Fellow, CAE, vp of event strategy and design at 360 Live Media, and her wife, Elena Gerstmann, PhD, FASAE, CAE, executive director of INFORMS, brainstormed an alternative: SocialOffset, a platform that enables event organizers and attendees to support local charities working to offset troubling policies or conditions in a particular destination. Launched in early 2023, the platform has has organized campaigns with 103 events and raised thousands for charities focused on at least one of six areas: racial justice, LGBTQ+ equality, hunger relief, housing security, environmental sustainability, and reproductive freedom.  Read Susan Hatch's excellent interview with Surmont about SocialOffset and more, originally published in our sister publication, MeetingsNet, here: https://lnkd.in/e4KCagUG #corporateevents #meetings #DEI #eventprofs #meetingsandevents

Events need water! From flushing toilets to washing linens to serving drinking water and ice for happy hours, water at #corporateevents is everywhere – but can often be overlooked when it comes to conservation measures. What, after all, can #eventprofs really do to mitigate water consumption beyond measuring how much we used? In their latest exclusive article for Corporate Event News, the event #sustainability experts at Honeycomb Strategies share four ways to manage different types of water for your meeting or event. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/e6_FPvBw #corporateevents #meetings #meetingsandevents

When it comes to #sustainability, some have framed the 2024 Presidential election in terms of more regulation vs. deregulation. But in reality, what happens at the ballot box will not determine if there will be more climate policymaking, but rather where that policymaking will happen. In his latest blog for CEN, Tommy Goodwin, vice president of the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance, shares that no matter which candidate is elected in November, the trade show industry must prepare by maintaining control of its shared path to Net Zero. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ecs-QgtQ #corporateevents #meetings #eventprofs #meetingsandevents

Since September, several leading venues announced or completed major expansion and remodel projects while others upped the ante with high-level environmental and inclusivity certifications. Check out our latest Venue News here: https://lnkd.in/eyMATpNa Rio Hotel & Casino Las Vegas Cobb Galleria Centre Events DC Los Angeles Convention Center ASM Global Oak View Group Grand River Center #corporateevents #meetings #eventprofs #eventvenues #meetingsandevents

Think you have what it takes to win a 2024 TSNN - Trade Show News Network Award? Time’s running out—you’ve got less than a week to prove it! 🏆 Winning isn’t just an honor; it’s a bold statement about your impact on the trade show industry. Showcase your hard work, your brand, and your influence—submit now! 👇 https://lnkd.in/eK4Sqnsc #TSNNAwards #TradeShowExcellence