Vince Alonzo
Hold That Plane!
American Airlines is rolling out new technology that could actually hold your connecting flight—yes, on purpose—if you’re at risk of missing it.
Tourism Trends Reshape Events
The global tourism industry is experiencing significant shifts in 2025, presenting both challenges and opportunities for meeting and event planners. Understanding these trends is crucial for crafting successful events that resonate with today's travelers.
Supersize Your Event Strategy
You’re in Orlando on a site inspection tour looking at venues, stuck between another beige ballroom and a rooftop with questionable shade coverage. Then suddenly, like a golden beacon of over-the-top kitsch, you see it—a 30-foot-tall Ronald McDonald, hand raised in eternal welcome.
Greener Gatherings Start Here
Ottawa Tourism has officially launched its Responsible Events Guide, a comprehensive tool created to support professionals in designing greener, more community-connected gatherings in Canada’s capital. The guide was unveiled during IMEX Frankfurt (May 20–22), where Ottawa Tourism highlighted its leadership in responsible destination management.
Cvent Unveils 2025 Rankings of Meeting Destinations
Cvent unveiled its 2025 rankings of Top Meeting Destinations and Top Meeting Hotels. The annual lists are issued regionally for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and for the first time this year, Latin America & Caribbean.
Is Your Event Hurricane-Proof?
For meeting and event planners—especially those organizing events in hurricane-prone regions like the Southeast U.S., Gulf Coast, and Caribbean—the forecast for an unusually active 2025 hurricane season means it’s time to tighten up contingency plans.
One Month Into REAL ID
It’s been just over a month since the REAL ID Act finally took flight—literally. For the meetings and events industry, the ripple effects have been swift, sometimes jarring, and surprisingly revealing.
Recognition Isn’t Fluff—It’s Fuel
According to a new study from the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF), "Building a Culture of Recognition," organizations that treat recognition as a strategic priority — not an afterthought — are seeing measurable gains in employee engagement, performance, and retention.
When the World Shifts, So Must We
A recent study by The Hague & Partners Convention Bureau, in collaboration with the European Society of Association Executives (ESAE), reveals a sobering reality: 88% of associations believe geopolitical instability will impact their operations — and 85% say it already has.
Cvent Doubles Down on 3D Event Tech
Event management firm Cvent has acquired Prismm, a leading provider of spatial event design technology. This acquisition underscores the growing demand for intuitive, collaborative tools in the meetings and events industry.
