Vince Alonzo
Why Planners Are Prioritizing Experience, Flexibility, and Authentic Venues
The latest Meeting Room of The Future report from International Association of Conference Centers (IACC), marking its 10th anniversary, reveals that planners are leaning into experience-centric design, flexible spaces, and the emotional connection of live gatherings.
Why Pizza Deserves a Spot on Your Event Agenda
Pizza can be a powerful tool for planners looking to add authenticity to events. Here’s how to turn a slice into an unforgettable experience Every year, the 50 Top Pizza USA rankings spark debate about where to find the best pizza in America. In the 2025 edition of this respected international ranking, Una Pizza Napoletana […]
Stop Apologizing for Exhibitions
For years, the meetings and events industry has been peppered with cautious optimism: “Events are returning,” we said. “People still value face-to-face,” we reassured. “Hybrid isn’t replacing in-person,” we declared. Enough already.
Royal Sonesta Kaua‘i Completes Major Repositioning
With its recent multi-million-dollar renovation and transition to the Royal Sonesta brand, one of Kaua‘i’s best-known beachfront resorts has officially reopened with renewed ambition—and a clear focus on the meetings and incentive market.
Standout “Cell-ebration” Venues
Why Former Prisons Are Your Next Unforgettable Event Venue The Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield – now an in demand event venue thanks to its starring role as the site where The Shawshank Redemption was filmed – is just one of many former prisons getting a second chance as unexpectedly popular venue options. Once formidable […]
Shawshanked: A Historic Prison-Turned-Incentive Venue
Once a penitentiary, then a film set, now an event venue—Mansfield’s Ohio State Reformatory finds unexpected redemption in the incentive travel market. For meeting and incentive planners searching for the next unforgettable destination, one unlikely location is doing hard time as an event venue: the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio.
Small Nooks, Big Deals
For the Gadsden-Etowah County Industrial Development Authority (IDA), success didn’t start with site selectors or tax incentives—it started with creating the right kind of space for ideas to flourish.
Digital Tipping 101
Once upon a time, tipping while attending an offsite meeting or event was easy: slip a few bills to the bellman, leave something on the pillow for housekeeping, and hand off a discreet envelope at checkout. But as hotel and event services increasingly shift to digital and cashless systems, the simple act of saying “thank you” has gotten more complex.
4 Steps to Avoiding a Digital Dumpster Fire
As AI tools like ChatGPT become part of everyday workflows, a federal court ordering OpenAI to indefinitely retain all ChatGPT conversation logs means event professionals must now take a closer look at how they use AI.
Chat GPT? Try SnitchGPT
Planners beware: a court order says your AI brain dump may now live forever A recent U.S. court ruling has major implications for anyone who uses ChatGPT—including meeting and event professionals who rely on it for planning support, idea generation, content creation, and even contract advice. On May 13, 2025, a court ordered OpenAI to […]
