6 minute read
In Brief
INDUSTRY PULSE
CHICAGO, IL — Last month, Lynn Osmond was appointed as CEO of Choose Chicago, effective May 9. Osmond, the first woman to helm the city’s
tourism agency, was most recently the President & CEO at the Chicago
Lynn Osmond
Architecture Center. “Lynn Osmond’s thorough experience leading the Chicago Architecture Center will be a great asset to Choose Chicago — and we’re proud she is the first woman to take on the job,” said Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. “As the city continues to see a rise in tourism, Osmond’s intimate knowledge of this city will ensure that we will continue to safely encourage and delight those who come to Chicago for work or play.”
JACKSONVILLE, FL — Visit Jacksonville
recently welcomed Laura Gonzalez, Lauren Hickox, Paloma Martin and Kelly Sanderson, CMP, to the sales, marketing and destination experience teams. Gonzalez, National Account Manager, was previously Director of Sales and Marketing at Tru by Hilton in Jacksonville. Hickox, Assistant Destination Experience Manager, was most recently an Events and Marketing Intern at the American Heart Association in Jacksonville. Martin, Destination Experience Manager, comes to the CVB from the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville-Riverfront, where she held the role of Event Manager. Sanderson, Convention Sales Marketing Manager, was previously the Destination Service Director for PRI
Productions.
LOS ANGELES, CA — Carl A. Thomas and Meg Little have joined
Carl A. Thomas
ASM Global as Senior Vice President, Sales and Platform Development, and Vice President, Marketing Solutions, respectively. Thomas’s background includes senior positions with Universal Studios, Tickets.com and Hookit.
Meg Little
Little joins ASM Global from Raycom Sports, where she spearheaded campaigns in partnership with global brands like Hyundai, Allstate, State Farm and Old Navy.
LOUISVILLE, KY — Louisville welcomes
Meeting Professional
International’s (MPI)
World Education Congress
(WEC), June 10-12, 2025. It will be Louisville’s first time as a host city for this major event, expected to draw 2,500 meeting planners and hospitality professionals to the Kentucky International Convention Center and other venues throughout the city. “We’re thrilled to bring WEC to Louisville for the first time,” says Annette Gregg, CMM, MBA, Senior Vice President of Experience for MPI. “From the Bourbon Trail to the iconic Churchill Downs, the destination has an exciting appeal for our participants. The downtown entertainment district is a perfect size for our conference and will create a great buzz for our offsite events.” Hosting WEC will result in an estimated immediate economic impact of over $2 million for the city.
2022 WEB & AWARDS
www.facilitiesonline.com
The #1 Source
For Professional Planners & Bookers of Conventions, Meetings, Entertainment & Special Events.
PRIME SITE AWARDS
In our 29th Year
Highly anticipated recognition of special achievement. These awards are selected byour meeting and convention planner readers.
IN BRIEF
CONVENTION CENTER WATCH
BOISE, ID — Boise Centre
has completed the annual reaccreditation process for the GBAC STAR
Facility Accreditation
Program. Under the guidance of GBAC, Idaho’s largest convention center continues to adhere to the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention in its facility. To renew the accreditation, Boise Centre was required to demonstrate compliance with program’s 20 core elements, which range from standard operating procedures, and risk assessment to personal protective equipment, and emergency preparedness and response measures. Boise Centre was the first convention center and business in Idaho to achieve the esteemed accreditation. “Renewing our GBAC STAR facility accreditation sets us apart, and in turn helps our customers reassure their guests their event meets the highest standards of cleanliness and safety,” comments Boise Centre Executive Director Pat Rice.
DETROIT, MI — Freeman
has been appointed the exclusive electric service provider for ASM Globalmanaged Huntington Place. “Freeman is one of the most successful and well established event service companies in the business that offers an exclusive branch dedicated to providing electrical services to many of the largest convention centers in the country,” said Karen Totaro, General Manager of Huntington Place. “This new contract is one more step in our efforts to be bold and provide the highest level of customer service in the industry. Our reputation is enhanced by who we choose to partner with and we are so pleased to partner with Freeman.” FreemanOnline, the proprietary online ordering portal, or “Customer Support Center,” is
SEATTLE, WA — The
Summit at the Washington
State Convention Center
is scheduled to open in July 2022. The building will feature approximately 255,000 sq. ft. of exhibition
space and 120,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. Wide-open spaces, floor-to-ceiling windows and skylights will bring daylight into the event spaces. In addition, “the 14,000-sq.-ft. open-air
Huntington Place
replacing the Conti Electric order links on the Online Ordering page in the Huntington Place website. Exhibitors will be able to order electrical services, labor and equipment, and access order history from Freeman through any webenabled device 24/7.
SAVANNAH, GA —
The Savannah Convention Center is in the midst of a $271 million expansion that will double the exhibit hall space to 200,000 sq. ft. and add a 58-ft.-wide glass hangar door, a 40,000-sq.-ft. ballroom and 15 additional meeting rooms. In addition, there will be more outdoor space, a new entry with an all-glass facade and a new 900-space onsite parking garage. The project is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2023.
Garden Terrace will be a versatile option for meeting planners,” says Jeff Blosser, President and CEO of the WSCC. “Meeting attendees will be wowed by the 58,000-sq.-ft. ballroom with its expansive view of the Capitol Hill neighborhood, and the glass-enclosed Hillclimb along Pine Street has west-facing views of Pike Place Market and the Puget Sound. Simply put, there’s a lot to like about this venue.”
IN BRIEF
HOTEL HIGHLIGHTS
BETHESDA, MD — Marriott International
has debuted its 8,000th property, the Marriott
Bethesda Downtown at
Marriott HQ. The 245-room property is located near Marriott International’s soon-to-open new global headquarters in Bethesda. Constructed to be LEED Gold certified, the hotel features five expansive rooftop green spaces and nearly 8,000 sq. ft. of stateof-the-art pre-function and event space.
LAS VEGAS, NV — Circa Resort & Casino
will debut 35,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting and convention space this September. The facilities also will feature state-ofthe-art AV capabilities and special environmental measures such as LED lighting and adaptive, intelligent controlled HVAC systems. Galaxy will be the largest space, with four adjoining meeting rooms spanning 14,456 sq. ft. of space and a 1,677-sq.-ft. outdoor terrace overlooking the city.
Circa Resort & Casino SANTA CLARA, CA —
The new 220-suite Hyatt
Centric Santa Clara
Silicon Valley is located near tech giant campuses, Levi Stadium, Santa Clara University, Historic
Mission Santa Clara De
Asis and the Mercado Santa Clara. The property includes a pool terrace with a 3,500-sq.-ft. foot hospitality deck complete with an outdoor living area and a semi-private deck available for groups.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ — The 265-room Caesars Republic Scottsdale luxury hotel is on schedule to open in Q1 2024. Room reservations will be open in Q2 2023. The hotel will include a 7,000-sq.-ft., columnfree ballroom with sliding glass doors opening onto a 7,000-sq.-ft. outdoor lawn for banquets. Other highlights include two Italian restaurants by awardwinning celebrity chef Giada De Laurentis, and an elevated pool lounge and restaurant on the seventh floor.
NASHVILLE, TN —
Opening this spring, the 234-room Conrad Nashville is located in the new Broadwest development, steps away from the city’s best restaurants, shopping, entertainment, music, and sports venues. Property highlights include a mainstay restaurant led by a celebrity chef, stylish lobby bar, rooftop pool terrace and bar, and wellness center. The Conrad Nashville also features over 11,000 sq. ft. of multipurpose function space.
