Advertiser Index

JOSEPH MARINELLI

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Q

What are some virtues of Savannah as a meeting destination that many planners may not be aware of, and which you are trying to promote?

A

Again, Southern hospitality is our trademark, but it goes far beyond that. From historic sites like Fort Jackson and Fort Pulaski to the W.W. Law Civil Rights Museum, we have it all. In 2020, we opened the impressive new JW Marriott Plant Riverside District. In addition to its 419 luxurious hotel rooms and suites, this new entertainment district includes a dozen food and beverage outlets overlooking the banks of the Savannah River, a variety of retail shops and an amazing collection of some of the largest natural geodes on display in the country. But if that doesn’t get your attention, the 135-ft. chrome dinosaur hanging from the ceiling of the Plant Riverside District lobby certainly will!

IMMEDIATE FUTURE

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open across the world, and until health officials have more information on these new variants. However, the industry is optimistic and hopeful that there won’t be another shutdown, now that planners have a better grip on navigating COVID-19.

With so much unknown continuing to take place across the world, hybrid models will likely act as a safety net for planners that are trying to plan for in-person events. Planners now know all the in’s and out’s of running virtual, hybrid and in-person events under the circumstances of COVID-19. With their experience in organizing these events throughout 2020 and 2021, corporate and association meetings will hopefully continue throughout the rest of this year and beyond.

Katherine Frost is the founder and CEO of event planning software ORO, a tech platform for professional event planners to help streamline their workflow for speed and productivity by consolidating all of the spreadsheets, binders and contracts into one tool.

ADVERTISER INDEX

Austin Convention Center ....................................... 1 Boise Centre .....................................................34 Connecticut Convention Center ................................. 5 IMEX America ..................................................45 Meet AC ..........................................................3 Monona Terrace Convention Center ............................38 Overland Park Convention Center ............................. 40 Owensboro Convention Center .................................21 Puerto Rico Convention Center ..............................6, C3 Spectra ..........................................................19 Spokane Convention Center ....................................43 St. Charles Convention Center ..................................23 Utah Valley Convention Center .................................13 Visit Lauderdale .................................................. 7 Visit Omaha ......................................................9 Visit Sacramento ............................................... C2 Visit Savannah ................................................. C4

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we’re able to provide flexible and customizable options to meet the need for seamless networking between onsite and streaming services. Finally, our industry-leading bandwidth of 10 Gbps from core to edge and full network redundancy for power and Internet connectivity allows our clients to experience world-class service and enhanced peace of mind.

Q

How has Austin Convention Center Department’s Capital Improvement Project enhanced the experience for clients?

AWe used the time to focus on safety and equipment upgrades, painting and installing new LED digital signage in the facility. We completed the design and started the construction for the offsite Marshalling Yard project. This will stage truck deliveries, relieving downtown traffic, and provide storage for other city departments. Palmer Events Center recertified as LEED Gold. In addition, we completed Austin Convention Center South Kitchen renovations, and 5th Street Garage tenant space, along with LED lighting upgrades for both the 2nd and 5th Street garages.

Q

Can you give an example of how the Austin Convention Center Department has partnered with a planner to conceptualize their group’s use of the Austin Convention Center, including both indoor and outdoor spaces?

AIn May, we partnered with a large corporate client with a high level of visibility to host their private outdoor livestreaming hybrid event. This client reimagined and rebranded all of our outdoor spaces and truly captured the essence and spirit of Austin as a destination with the park, lake and skyline as their backdrop. The client had an elevated level of expectation when it came to mitigating the risk of COVID-19 both for their guests and within their production teams and our staff. We were able to meet and exceed the client’s needs from all levels of planning to implementation onsite. With the use of some indoor and mostly outdoor space, coupled with the benefit of our 100 percent in-house IT capabilities and seamless network operations, the client was able to achieve a unique and literally out-of-the-box hybrid event that was still on brand and true to their company’s internal mission during the pandemic.

#WeAreBackSafely

Our continuous goal is to instill the highest levels of security and consumer confidence, providing a safe environment for all visitors, business partners and employees. That’s why we have enhanced our safety and health protocols by implementing VenueShield.

We are ready! Start planning your event safely by contacting us at info@prconvention.com

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