Cleveland is on a major roll. It’s on hosts of “best of” and “must see” lists, and if you’ll be at ASAE Annual, too, you’re going to love it. The post ASAE Cleveland: A Prodigal Son’s Guide to The Land appeared first on Smart Meetings ..read more

Meet the professionals in meetings, hospitality and tourism making Smart Moves and taking on new roles in Las Vegas, Anaheim and more. The post Smart Moves in Las Vegas, Anaheim and More appeared first on Smart Meetings ..read more

Utopia of the Seas' 236,473-tonnage makes it the second largest cruise ship in the world, and it comes stocked with plenty of attractions. The post Royal Caribbean Launches “World’s Biggest Weekend” Cruise with New Mega-Ship Utopia of the Seas appeared first on Smart Meetings ..read more

Monumental hotels across the US unveil extensive renovations and restorations Some of the most memorable names in hospitality history—historic Hotel Del, beloved Hotel Cleveland and the sparkling Inn at Stonecliffe—celebrate the culmination of extensive renovations centered around restoration, preservation and introducing modern amenities while maintaining their historic character. A Landmark, Reinvigorated Guest room in The Victorian, Hotel del Coronado The jewel of San Diego, Hotel del Coronado, opens reservations for stays in its newly restored Victorian building. The National Historic Land ..read more

The annual convention drove home stewardship as key to prosperity for locals, visitors and meetings alike At Destinations International (DI) Annual Convention, 2024 (DIAC24), in Tampa, Fla. this past July 16-18, DI CEO Don Welsh’s opening remarks brought forward a wave of laugher from the crowd after he shared that the awe-inspiring drone show that kicked off the 2024 Annual Convention used an astounding 300 drones—and 298 of them made it through to the end! Ah, the drone show: the latest meetings industry favorite. Each one we see seems to get even better than the last. Drone show at “Unlock ..read more

Amid the whirlwind of a high-powered CEO or celebrity’s life, many still find time to speak at corporate events, but what happens when these A-list event speakers’ busy lives get the best of them and they need to bow out of their speaking commitment, or they don’t arrive at the anticipated time? Although problem solving is a part of a meeting planner’s arsenal, this can still be a pain. In fact, an A-list speaker can come with additional questions to think about. As in, what actions a planner should take, what  they should ask and what they should expect when booking well-known names—peop ..read more

Travel and meeting risk trainer offers insights for the future The news Friday morning that an update from the software protection company CrowdStrike crashed travel, emergency, hospital and banking systems all over the globe, was a reminder of the risks of planning events in a highly networked world. Read More: How to Build a Risk-assessment Checklist Smart Meetings reached out to Kevin Coffey, travel security and meeting risk advisor and trainer, to get some insights on what planners can learn from the CrowdStrike incident and how they can prepare for the future. Be Prepared No matter the si ..read more

Belonging is a fundamental human need that sits at the heart of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, as a gateway to our full potential. In recent years, the concept of belonging has gained renewed importance for business as a key factor in driving employee engagement, productivity and overall success. As companies navigate post-pandemic challenges, including decreased productivity, widespread loneliness and difficulties in reintegrating employees into physical offices, the lens of business has identified belonging as a key to answering these challenges—and to unlocking serious growth in engagement an ..read more

Alberto Rojas and Jaqueline Mitchell Alberto Rojas (left) and Jaqueline Mitchell (right), Savannah Convention Center Savannah Convention Center (SCC) announces two distinguished leaders to new positions. Rojas joins as assistant general manager. He brings over 25 years of experience across finance, events and facility management. He most recently served as general manager with Jackson Convention Complex and the Oklahoma City Convention Center. At SCC, he will oversee the finance, administration, human resources and information technology department, while specially focusing on municipal policy ..read more

William Fogler, founder and CEO of Atlanta-based WM Events, has come a long way from planning his mother’s 50th birthday party, when he hired a stripper from the Yellow Pages. He was 12 years old then. Today, his award-winning events company, which has a lengthy roster of household-name clients, including professional sports teams like MBL’s Atlanta Braves and corporate giants such as Microsoft and Delta Air Lines, is marking two decades of success. Smart Meetings caught up with Fogler to ask him to reflect on his career and the changes he has witnessed in the events industry over the past 20 ..read more