EDITOR’S LETTER

Teresa Kenney, editor

TERESA.KENNEY@TIGEROAK.COM

Spring Has Sprung

COMEDIAN AND ACTOR ROBIN WILLIAMS ONCE NOTED, “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party.’” And that is certainly true in Texas, where festivals begin blooming as soon as the wildflowers return to the fields.

I live north of Houston in The Woodlands, and one of the annual events I always look forward to is the Waterway Arts Festival. Houston has the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; San Antonio has its Fiesta. Austin welcomes South by Southwest, and the Dallas Arboretum is abloom with its annual Dallas Blooms. Some of the more quirky or unique festivities that spring brings to the Lone Star State are the World’s Largest Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater, the Llano Fiddle Fest and the Texas SandFest in Port Aransas. What are some of the spring festivals you look forward to attending each year?

In this issue of Texas Meetings + Events, we pay homage to spring with our feature on floral trends (page 34). We asked four experts what’s in, what’s out and what they would love for planners to know when choosing flowers for their meetings and events.

We also take a road trip to Denton, a city of originals (page 28). This college town in Texas’s horse country is a great spot for a destination meeting or event.

For those of you looking to author a bestselling event, “check out” our venue report on bookish spaces (page 24). Texas libraries are smart options for private gatherings or galas, and we promise no one will shush your guests while they’re having fun.

And don’t miss our profile on industry leader Hope Stokes. Director of brand management for the Amarillo Convention and Visitor Council, Stokes takes pride in promoting her hometown.

Thank you for spending your time with us. As always, please reach out with any story ideas or news to teresa.kenney@tigeroak.com. In fact, share some photos of you enjoying a spring Texas festival on our Facebook page! I look forward to hearing from you!

Cheers,

Find, Friend, Follow

Find us online at tx.meetingsmags.com, and make sure to “like” us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram to stay in the loop between issues.

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EDITOR Teresa Kenney

MANAGING EDITOR Mike Munzenrider SENIOR EDITOR Megan Gosch ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lauren Pahmeier CONTRIBUTING WRITER Tiffany Rose Goodyear Kassidy Tarala

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Chris Arredondo, Eclipse Entertainment • Yvette Audrain, Simply Mox • Andy Austin, Andy Austin Entertainment Kelly Bagnall, Dykema Gossett PLLC • Deborah Elias, Elias Events • Lisa Dalton, Hotel Palomar Dallas Kevin Foster, Conference & Catering Consultant Services • Christy Hill-Howard, Christy Hill Events Rob Keating, M&M Event Rentals • Steve Kemble, Steve Kemble Event Design • Cindy Lo, Red Velvet Events Inc. Terri McBride, Austin Convention Center • Jim Monroe, J. Monroe Designs • Catherine New, The Statler • Diana Pfaff, Irving CVB • Laurie Sprouse, Ultimate Ventures • Leigh Stem, AFR Event Furnishings • Dayne Sullivan, Adventures LLC • Marla Watson-Werst, PeaPod Productions

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Published quarterly Texas Meetings + Events, Spring 2020 © 2020 Tiger Oak Media. All rights reserved.

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MEETING MAGIC

Glowforge creates meaningful moments with 3D laser printers.

LIKE MAGIC, Glowforge can bring your attendees’ digital design dreams to life with its 3D laser printers. From phone stands and luggage tags to key chains and coffee sleeves, Glowforge can print customized souvenirs for each of your attendees to take home after what will be one of the most memorable events they’ve ever experienced. “There are a ton of ways meetings planners can use Glowforge printers at meetings and events,” says Dan Shapiro, CEO and founder. “Glowforge printers on an expo floor are sure to wow attendees and get them engaged at any event. We’ve seen Glowforge printers drive booth traffic, drawing constant streams of people coming to a booth to watch.” Attendees can create their own designs by doodling with a pen, and Glowforge can then engrave their designs on anything from a notebook to a luggage tag. “Meeting planners can also leverage Glowforge to make a ton of swag, corporate giveaways and event marketing items right from the office or home ahead of the conference to shave costs and time associated with outsourcing event preparation,” Shapiro adds. With materials costing about 25 cents per person, Glowforge uses leather, wood, acrylic and even chocolate to create customized souvenirs in less than five minutes.

“Glowforge can print any souvenir you can think up within minutes. This means you can print trophies for the team members who drove the most leads right in front of them. Or you can challenge the team to a team-building activity to see who can come up with the most creative design to print on a Glowforge,” Shapiro says. “You can also quickly commemorate the event on the spot by adding the date and a theme of the meeting onto a keepsake for folks to take home. The possibilities are truly endless.” —Kassidy Tarala