REGIONAL NEWS

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NYC Crafts Hybrid EventHosting Models With the creation of hybrid hosting programs that allow for both remote and in-person attendance, NYC & Company is working to spotlight local venues preparing to safely host meetings, conventions and events in accordance with public health guidance and regulations.

“[Our] world-class venues have adapted to meet the current moment with innovative new hybrid models that will help us to safely welcome meeting delegates and event attendees back to the five boroughs once again,” says Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company, and co-chair of the Meetings Mean Business Coalition.

From the Javits Center to unique studios and meeting spaces like Gotham Hall, Ziegfeld Ballroom, Studio 525 and Spring Studios, local venues are implementing best-in-class cleaning procedures, social distancing protocols and other health and safety standards to ensure well-being for events with smaller, local, in-person audiences with larger numbers participating virtually.

In addition, NYC & Company recently launched a Virtual NYC Site Tours resource for meeting and event planners, providing an up-to-date listing of businesses offering virtual site inspection tools during the COVID-19 crisis. nycgo.com/makeitnyc

Philadelphia Business Community Launches Regional Task Force The Greater Philadelphia business and civic community has launched a task force to re-energize the city’s economy.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses of Greater Philadelphia and the surrounding counties lost an estimated 8.1 percent of GDP, and approximately 735,000 people lost employment.

The Recharge and Recovery Task Force, which was spearheaded by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia and its CEO Council for Growth, is a private-public partnership that brings together key leaders within the community to accelerate job and economic growth through a series of actionable plans and short-term solutions to fasttrack key industry growth.

More than 120 members of the task force were strategically selected to create a galvanization of private sector leaders and task force initiatives, including building out contact-tracing infrastructure as well as creating paths to scaling up diverse job opportunities.

EMERGING LEADERS»

Changed Industry, New Proficiencies

PCMA is raising money to help professionals build the new skills they need in an increasingly digitally focused environment.

Virtual events and digital skills have become vital to the meetings and events industry like never before. As it wasn’t absolutely necessary for planners to have these skills before the pandemic, the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) stepped in to help professionals obtain the skills they need to help contribute to the future of meetings and events.

“We knew early on it was up to the foundation to step up to the plate to help industry professionals recover and thrive. We listened to our members and learned that finding and funding reskilling and upskilling opportunities was No. 1 on their wish list,” says Meredith Rollins, executive director of the PCMA Foundation.

In response, PCMA launched the Accelerating Reskilling Initiative. The initiative will fund 1,000 event professionals with scholarships for the Certified Meeting Professional online prep course, the Digital Event Strategist Certification, as well as access to PCMA’s event, Convening Leaders 2021.

“PCMA’s seminal research assessing the pandemic’s impact on the business events industry, Business Events Compass, identified a number of career disciplines in high demand right now—digital event producers, visual storytellers, data analysts, and user-experience designers, among others,” says Rollins. “The research also affirmed the continued importance of skills in event design, participant engagement and financial planning/modeling.”

To help reach their goal of raising $250,000 to fund the reskilling of 1,000 business event professionals, PCMA hosted a virtual fundraiser called Rethink, Reskill, Recover. The September event had 140 participants and raised $57,000 with the help of sponsors and individual donations. By the end of September, the initiative had raised $100,000.

As in-person events resume, these skills will help prepare professionals for success in the meantime.

Get Connected

PROFESSIONAL CONVENTION MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION foundation.pcma.org/accelerating-reskilling HOTEL NEWS»

Loews Hotels Launches Initiatives for Hybrid Meetings Loews Hotels has announced the launch of its new “StreamLine by Loews” brand-wide approach to virtual and hybrid gatherings.

From large-scale conferences to intimate board meetings, “StreamLine by Loews” provides tools for planners to move events online, while maintaining a high quality of service at its properties across the country.

“Our offerings are nimble in order to proactively cater to our customers’ ever-changing needs. ‘StreamLine by Loews’ is a deliberate virtual meetings experience aimed to exceed the expectations of groups looking to assemble in any way they desire,” says Alex Tisch, president of Loews Hotels & Co.

As a part of the initiative, Loews has partnered with PSAV to offer turnkey state-of-theart technology studio spaces, featuring built-in technology to deliver professional footage in a styled environment, with the ability to broadcast globally. loewshotels.com

TOURISM NEWS» Plans Announced for New York’s Newest Arena Construction is underway on New York’s newest cutting edge live entertainment and sports venue.

Located in Elmont, New York, the UBS Arena at Belmont Park, a state-of-the-art venue developed in partnership with Oak View Group, the New York Islanders, and Sterling Project Development, is projected to open for the 2021-2022 National Hockey League season.

The $1.5 billion project and the surrounding redevelopment is expected to generate approximately $25 billion in economic activity, including major infrastructure improvements, 10,000 construction jobs, and 3,000 permanent jobs (30 percent of which will be reserved for local residents).

“UBS Arena is poised to become a global landmark entertainment and sports destination, leading us to partner with one of the world’s premier brands, UBS,” says Tim Leiweke, CEO of Oak View Group and leader of the arena project. “Together we’re eager to deliver on our shared promise of helping reinvigorate the New York economy, creating jobs, supporting a sustainable future, and safely providing an unrivaled, distinctive premium experience for all. We’re excited to bring our passion and unmatched guest service commitment to life, and we look forward to welcoming fans to what will surely become a popular global destination for world-class events for many years to come.”

The UBS Arena is being constructed with sustainability in mind to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) v4 standards. The arena is also working with world-class sustainability experts to minimize the environmental impact of the venue and become a zero-waste facility with the use of renewable energy sources and reduced water and electricity consumption.

The arena has also been designed for the ultimate fan experience as well as an efficient and effortless venue access for performers and crew, and will feature a state-of-the-art sound system that leverages sophisticated engineering acoustics to amplify the audio experience. Displays will include the largest scoreboard in the state with industry-leading, high-definition technology and two levels of high-resolution LED ribbon boards. Game presentation will offer dramatic theatrical lighting and ice video projections.

Attendees will enjoy the arena’s 5G cellular and Wi-Fi service as well as a variety of VIP suites and club spaces.

While the arena’s exterior and interior will pay homage to iconic New York landmarks, including Grand Central Terminal, Prospect Park Boathouse and the Park Avenue Armory, the arena’s sprawling campus will also include 315,000 square feet of luxury retail and a 250room, four-star boutique hotel.

Cutting edge sanitization processes will be paired with contactless technology and operational staffing and cleaning solutions to ensure the health and safety of patrons and staff at the arena. Facilities will include medical grade HEPA filtration, task-specific ultraviolet light systems and adoption of cleaning and disinfecting solutions that have been proven safe and effective in large-scale public spaces. ubsarena.com

PEOPLE NEWS»

Whiteface Lodge Appoints New GM Lake Placid’s AAA Four Diamond, luxury all-suite Whiteface Lodge has officially appointed Joe Giannino as the property’s new general manager.

Giannino brings over 30 years of industry experience to the role, having worked extensively with upscale restaurants and both branded and boutique hotels and resorts. Giannino comes to the resort from IMH Columbia in Columbia, Massachusetts, where he served as the operations/asset manager of a new hotel development and oversaw all construction, design, procurement, and property management. He also worked previously as the area general manager with Modus Hotels in Washington, D.C., and as the general manager for The Latham Hotel in the capital’s Georgetown district.

As one of his first acting duties, Giannino organized a food donation project in coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Farmers to Families Program to help deliver food packages to area residents in need.

In his new role, Giannino will help oversee the 96-room resort, which was conceived by a former Olympian, modeled after the Adirondack Great Camp and offers several Olympic-scale amenities and activities as well as Lake Placid’s only resort spa and two handcrafted, luxury lean-tos, unique to the Adirondacks.

“Joe’s great experience and leadership style, coupled with his outstanding record of management success, makes him a valuable addition to our team at Whiteface Lodge,” said Donald J. Urgo Jr., managing partner and general counsel, Urgo Hotels & Resorts. thewhitefacelodge.com

CVB NEWS»

NYC & Co. Launches Webinar Series for Planners

New York City’s official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau has launched a webinar series just for travel trade and meeting and event planners.

The new series will provide educational updates and opportunities to connect with New York City’s hospitality, tourism, meetings and events industry, in partnership with NYC & Company member businesses.

“As New York City’s five boroughs safely reopen and we look to welcome visitors and delegates when the time is right, it is important that we continue to connect with our trusted travel trade and planner audiences, to provide timely updates on the world’s greatest destination as we all continue to navigate tourism’s new normal, and to show how they, too, can go ‘all-in’ on NYC,” says Fred Dixon, NYC & Company president and CEO.

NYC & Company’s Tourism Development and Convention Development teams will be joined by representatives from featured New York City hotels, venues, attractions, museums, tours, experiences and more during the presentations.

In addition, NYC & Company will soon launch a diversity webinar series to highlight the experiences of Black, Indigenous, People of Color communities and businesses throughout the city’s five boroughs. More details to be announced. nycgo.com