14 minute read
DEPARTMENTS
IN BRIEF
INDUSTRY PULSE
DALLAS, TX — Freeman
recently joined live events leaders from across the United States to form Go LIVE Together, a coalition of 80 founding partners — representing over 4,000 companies with U.S. operations — supporting legislative action to aid the industry’s recovery from COVID-19. “While our concern is first and foremost supporting the suppression and mitigation efforts around COVID-19, live events will be an integral part of accelerating the U.S. and global economic recovery,” says Bob PriestHeck, CEO of Freeman. “A fundamental aspect of the industry are that trade shows and events enable companies to grow, educate and innovate. Protecting the industry means protecting key economic and social drivers that not only impact jobs today, but also the development of the next generation of businesses. As the largest live events producer, Freeman is proud to unite with other industry leaders to form a coalition to make this possible.” The group will advocate for funds both to offset the added costs of hosting an event post COVID-19 and to incentivize people to attend live events when it is safe to do so. For more information, visit golivetogether.com.
KANSAS CITY, MO — In late April, MMGY Travel Intelligence, in partnership with Destinations International Foundation, released the findings from the fourth wave of a series of biweekly tracking surveys of North American destination professionals. The survey, which assesses how organizations in this sector are impacted by and reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic, revealed that respondents’ outlook on their local tourism economies has started to improve. The percentage of destination professionals who expect their local economy to worsen fell sharply from 72 percent in Wave III of the survey to 41 percent in Wave IV, indicating expectations are starting to stabilize. A small but growing percentage of respondents (14 percent) even expect their local tourism economy to show improvement in the next 30 days. This is up from just 2 percent of respondents in Wave III. “Many organizations are now starting to proactively plan their shift from informational communications campaigns to promotional ones in the next 60 days,” said Chris Davidson, Executive Vice President, Insights & Strategy at MMGY Global. “But, there won’t be one moment where it all turns back on for everyone. Cities, even within the same state, may be on totally different time tables and with differing restrictions and protocols.” The survey was conducted among employees of destination organizations
LAS VEGAS, NV — GES
Executive Vice President of Industry Development John “Jack” Patronski retired from the company on June 30. “Jack has been a major contributor to GES including early acquisitions in the U.S. and Canada, leading the National Sales group, major
John Patronski
labor negotiations, service initiatives and training,” commented GES Executive Vice President of Exhibitions Jeff Quade. Among Patronski’s distinctions include serving as Chairman of the PCMA Foundation in 2006, receiving the PCMA Foundation’s Visionary Award, and being inducted into the EIC’s Hall of Leaders in 2016. Patronski began his events career in 1976 as Director of Operations for the Donald
E. Stephens Convention
Center. In 1978, he joined Andrews Bartlett, which GES acquired in 1993.
NASHVILLE, TN — The
Nashville Convention
& Visitors Corp (CVC) recently appointed Jennifer Sullivan to the sales team as Director, Mid-Atlantic Regional Office. She will serve as an in-market rep for Washington, DC-based clients interested in booking
Jennifer Sullivan
Nashville as a convention destination. Sullivan previously worked for
Destination Cleveland
in the Washington, DC market. Her DMO and onproperty hotel experience includes positions with Visit Baltimore and Kimpton Hotels Baltimore. “Jennifer will be a great fit with our Nashville team, and her experience in the Washington, DC market is exactly what’s needed as we look toward Nashville’s future in the meetings industry,” said Adrienne Siemers, Senior Vice President of Sales at the CVC.
PHILADELPHIA, PA — Last month, the Philadelphia
Convention and Visitors
Bureau (PHLCVB) Board of Directors unanimously voted to appoint Gregg Caren as
Gregg Caren
President and CEO. Caren most recently served as the Continued on page 6
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INDUSTRY PULSE Continued from page 4
Executive Vice President, Sales and Strategic Business Development for ASM Global. He joined the PHLCVB on June 8. “As we turn our attention towards recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are confident that Gregg will guide the PHLCVB towards future success on behalf of Philadelphia,” said Nick DeBenedictis, PHLCVB Chairman. “I’d also like to thank Julie Coker for extending her time as President and CEO, and for the spectacular job she’s done with the PHLCVB over the last 10 years.” Caren commented: “After two decades working with dozens of convention centers and destinations around the globe, I am genuinely excited and honored to represent my hometown of 25 years to the rest of the world. … I’m truly looking forward to contributing to Philadelphia’s recovery efforts by leading the extremely talented team at the PHLCVB, and working closely with the partners and stakeholders that help drive our tourism industry forward.”
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
— Allseated, a provider of digital planning tools for the events industry, recently launched a product that enables the creation of floorplans that comply with social distancing. The Allseated
Physical Distancing Tool
includes on-the-fly seating distance measurements, dynamic airwalls, nullzones and unique objects such as sanitary stations. Measurements can also be adjusted based on country, state or local government and regulatory guidelines. For further details, visit allseated.com.
SCHILLER PARK, IL — Last month, PSAV introduced MeetSAFE, a set of guidelines developed with four key areas in mind: event design, room layout/ traffic flow, technology enhancements and cleaning guidelines. “Our industry has more to consider when planning live events in the future,” said Ben Erwin, President of PSAV. “While there has been an explosion
Ben Erwin
of virtual events due to today’s environment, we know there will be a time when both hybrid and fully live meetings will return. People feel a strong desire for face-to-face interactions, so we wanted to be proactive and offer guidance on how they can ensure important live meetings and events are productive, but also safe at the same time.” Amy Calvert, CEO of the EIC, commented, “The Events Industry Council applauds PSAV for its leadership through this effort to provide relevant guidance and tools to industry professionals. We are encouraged and inspired by the work we are seeing in all segments and regions to address today’s challenge and adapt for the future.” Visit psav.com/
what-we-do/industry
advocacy/meetSAFE for more information.
SINGAPORE/CHICAGO,
IL — Last month, PCMA appointed global business events industry leader Karen Bolinger as Managing Director, Asia Pacific. “As stakeholders in the global business events industry look towards a post-COVID-19 recovery, we believe that the Asia Pacific region will recover first and that the industry will be substantially changed,” said PCMA President and CEO
Karen Bolinger Sherrif Karamat. “Karen will support PCMA’s APAC growth through her track record of business event industry leadership success and ability to introduce new strategic initiatives in the face of industry and marketplace challenges.” Bolinger is a former CEO of the Melbourne Convention Bureau and Chair of the BestCities Global Alliance. She will be based in Melbourne, Australia, and will lead PCMA’s Asia Pacific operations team through its office in Singapore.
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IN BRIEF
CONVENTION CENTER WATCH
Kentucky International Convention Center
LOS ANGELES, CA —The
Los Angeles Convention
Center (LACC), managed by ASM Global, is pursuing
Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR
accreditation. GBAC STAR provides third-party validation to ensure the implementation of rigorous protocols in response to biorisk situations. “As we look ahead toward the ‘new normal,’ we plan to make our venue safe for all our employees, our clients and attendees,” said Ellen Schwartz, LACC General Manager. “Committing to the GBAC STAR program clearly underscores the measures we are taking to provide the cleanliness and infection control needed at this time.”
Kentucky International
LEED Silver certified in April. Sustainable features and practices include lowflow plumbing fixtures, LED lighting throughout the building, diversion of 85 percent of construction waste from landfills to be recycled, 25 water filling stations throughout the facility, and lighting controllable via occupancy sensors in all indoor spaces. In addition, the convention center partners with Levy Restaurants to reduce food waste through food donations to The Healing Place and composting. “We are committed to providing a high-tech, efficient and green facility for our clients,” said Blake Henry, General Manager of the Kentucky International Convention Center. “I am proud of our partners and the Kentucky Venues team for achieving this certification.”
MILWAUKEE, WI — Last month, the Wisconsin
Center District Board
voted to move forward with the $420 million expansion of the Wisconsin Center. The expansion will double the square footage of the convention center, adding 112,000 sq. ft. to the exhibition hall. The expanded facility
is expected to attract an additional 100,000 visitors to Milwaukee annually, and generate an estimated $12.6 billion in spending over a 30-year period. The timeline for the project is undetermined, given that the pandemic has induced a drastic cut in the hotel F&B taxes that fund the convention center’s governing body.
PHOENIX, AZ — The
Phoenix Convention
Center is pursuing GBAC STAR accreditation. “Safety and cleanliness have always been a priority for meeting professionals, and the Phoenix Convention Center has done an excellent job of maintaining its facility over the years to meet these expectations,” said Visit Phoenix President and CEO Steve Moore. “Pursuing the GBAC STAR … further demonstrates our commitment to maintain best-in-class safety standards that ensure confidence within the minds of our clients and their
LOUISVILLE, KY — The
attendees.”
Convention Center became
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HOTEL HIGHLIGHTS
ATLANTA, GA — CIG
Capital, an alternative investment firm, is continuing to fund the hospitality industry during the pandemic. The company has announced a $95 million lending project for the new Sheraton Hotel and
Conference Center by
Marriott, located beside the
Hartsfield-Jackson Airport
in Atlanta, GA. The 300- room property will include a 40,000-sq.-ft. conference center and 200-seat upscale restaurant. “Since projects in the hospitality industry often take years to complete, we are eager to continue supporting this key industry sector amidst [the pandemic] and anticipate a promising future as the economy returns to normalcy,” said Charles D. Carey, Managing Partner of CIG Capital.
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ —
Caesars Entertainment
Corp. and VICI Properties Inc. is selling Bally’s
Atlantic City Hotel &
Casino to Lincoln, RI-based
Twin River Worldwide
Holdings Inc. for $25 million in cash. The acquisition is expected to close in late 2020 or early 2021. Twin River will also acquire a license to build out a sports book at the 1,251-room property as part of the deal.
BETHESDA, MD — Marriott
International recently announced that it will be rolling out a series of new hospitality practices to manage the health risk posed by the pandemic. “We want our guests to understand what we are doing today and planning for in the near future in the areas of cleanliness, hygiene and social distancing so that when they walk through the doors of one of our hotels, they know our commitment to their health and safety is our priority,” said Arne Sorenson, President and CEO, Marriott International. As part of the initiative, the company established the Marriott Global Cleanliness Council, which will develop the next level of global hospitality cleanliness standards, norms and behaviors. Marriott is also (1) implementing electrostatic sprayers with hospital-grade disinfectant to sanitize surfaces throughout the hotel; (2) using signage in its lobbies to remind guests to maintain social distancing protocols and removing or rearranging furniture to allow more space for distancing; (3) installing more hand-sanitizing stations at the entrances to its hotels, near the front desk, elevator banks and fitness and meeting spaces; and (4) enhancing sanitation guidelines and training videos for all food service associates.
CHICAGO, IL — Hyatt’s new
Global Care & Cleanliness
Commitment includes several components. The company recently introduced a GBAC STAR accreditation through a performancebased cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention program. The accreditation will include training at more than 900 Hyatt hotels worldwide, and the company says it intends to complement this program with regular internal and third-party auditing. By September 2020, every Hyatt hotel will have a Hygiene Manager, overseeing the property’s adherence to
new operational guidance and protocols. Hyatt is also continuing to engage and expand its council of infectious disease and occupational health experts (formed at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis) in order to provide guidance on areas including health and hygiene, colleague safety, food and beverage safety, travel journey, space design, contactless technology and well-being.
FRISCO, TX — Hyatt
Regency Frisco opened on June 1. The 18-story, 303-room hotel is located within Frisco’s Stonebriar Centre, a shopping mall. The property features a 27,500-sq.-ft. conference center that includes two ballrooms and breakout space. Two restaurants are onsite. Nearby attractions include Toyota Stadium and Frisco Discovery Center.
Hotels Corporation, Terra Continued on page 12
MIAMI BEACH, FL — Hyatt
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HOTEL HIGHLIGHTS Continued from page 10
Rendering of the 800-room Grand Hyatt Miami Beach, which will connect to the Miami Beach Convention Center
Group and Turnberry recently announced plans to open the Grand Hyatt Miami Beach in 2023. The property will connect via skybridge to the Miami Beach Convention Center, which completed a $600 million renovation last year. The hotel’s two floors of meeting spaces and ballrooms will be complemented by amenities such as a resort-style pool. “The Greater Miami
Convention & Visitors
Bureau [GMCVB] joins Terra, Turnberry and The City of Miami Beach in welcoming Grand Hyatt Miami Beach as the new 800-room headquarter hotel connected to the Miami Beach Convention Center,” said William D. Talbert, III, CDME, President of the GMCVB. “Grand Hyatt Miami Beach will make it possible to better compete for citywide conventions which fuel jobs in our community and generates business for all of Greater Miami’s hotels and merchants. We look forward to the hotel groundbreaking, which once completed will finalize the Miami
Beach Convention Center
District.”
MIAMI BEACH, FL —
Steven Hiblum has been appointed General Manager of Shelborne South Beach. His nearly two decades of hospitality experience includes executive roles at several properties within Morgans Hotel Group. Most recently, Hiblum served as Vice President of Operations at Highgate Hotels, where he was responsible for managing hotel experiences and programming for three Miami properties.
ORLANDO, FL — Last month, Rosen Hotels & Resorts announced its
COVID-19 Response
Plan. Experts from the company’s RosenCare healthcare program partnered with a specially appointed task force to develop the plan, which applies specifically to the company’s eight Orlando hotels. “RosenCare’s success has been achieved through an intense focus on prevention,” said owner and operator Harris Rosen.
Harris Rosen
“Prevention also will be our focus as we elevate our hygiene standards at our eight Orlando hotels in response to the new pandemic. We have always maintained an impeccable level of cleanliness on behalf of our valued guests. However, now with our medical team’s involvement, we will ensure the highest levels of disinfection related to today’s new standards are unquestionably maintained.” Components of the plan include social distancing protocols, use of hospitalgrade disinfectants, viruseliminating laundering processes, performing temperature checks on employees before each shift, and various other practices.
WASHINGTON, DC —
The American Hotel &
Lodging Association
recently launched Safe Stay, described as “an initiative focused on enhanced hotel cleaning practices, social interactions, and workplace
Chip Rogers
protocols to meet the new health and safety challenges and expectations presented by COVID-19.” “Every hotel guest and employee should know that their health and safety are our top priority,” said Chip Rogers, President and CEO of AHLA. “Safe Stay represents a new level of focus for an industry already built on cleanliness. Hotels have always had rigorous standards for cleaning and safety. With Safe Stay we are enhancing these standards to help create peace of mind. When travel resumes, hotels will be ready to safely welcome back the traveling public.” The
Safe Stay Advisory Council
includes representatives from the world’s largest hotel companies. For details, visit www.ahla.com/safestay.
