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Around The Region EVENTSWORTHy
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MEET AC AWARDED INDUSTRY ACCOLADE
Connect Travel, owner and producer of eTourism Summit, announced the winners of the Fourth Annual Excellence “eTSY” Awards in partnership with Expedia Group Media Solutions and Destination Marketing Podcast. Meet AC has won an award in the category of “Best Use of Augmented, Mixed or Virtual Reality” for its Atlantic City Virtual Reality Experience.
This recognition goes to destination marketing organizations and their media partners to recognize and celebrate the best of 2020-2021 campaigns and programs with awards in a dozen original categories, including website content, video, email, augmented and virtual reality, influencer marketing and innovation.
“We are proud to present an innovative piece of technology to help bleisure travelers (business + leisure) experience Atlantic City before, during and after their visit. It is so important, now more than ever, to be able to represent our destination virtually, and the enhancements that we’ve done to our VR experience show Meet AC’s dedication to the destination by continuing digital transformation,” stated Meet AC’s marketing director, Karina Anthony.
www.meetac.com ATLANTIC CITY IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Coming off the successful MEDCO/Ace Tool Customer Appreciation Show, Atlantic City welcomed the annual 2021 Northeast Regional Carwash Convention (NRCC) to the Atlantic City Convention Center in October. Also in October, Atlantic City played host to the annual Atlantic Coast Veterinary Conference, Dino Stroll (a new consumer event for the Atlantic City Convention Center that allowed attendees to get up close to life-like and life-size dinosaurs), and WILD Dance Intensive - a one-day, one-of-a-kind dance experience in an encouraging, fun and creative environment.
The momentum has continued into November with three returning annual events at the Atlantic City Convention Center, two of which are the largest conventions Atlantic City hosts. The annual New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) Convention on November 4-5, Import Expo on November 7-8, and the annual New Jersey State League of Municipalities (NJLM) Conference on November 16-18, 2021.
“The meeting and convention business in Atlantic City is back. Our clients and their attendees are happy to return to safe, face-to-face networking and educational opportunities. We are thrilled to add that the events that have taken place over the past few months have reported increased attendance from previous years,” stated Larry Sieg, Meet AC’s president and CEO.
www.meetac.com
BENCHMARK & PYRAMID MERGER
Two storied hotel and resort management companies have aligned forces, creating one powerhouse organization strategically positioned for the future of the global hospitality industry: Benchmark Pyramid. With a worldwide portfolio of 210 properties, the new company captures the passions and unique strengths of Benchmark Global Hospitality, a celebrated leader in the development and management of independent and lifestyle properties, and Pyramid Hotel Group, with its history of success across branded/franchise and resort properties.
www.benchmarkpyramid.com
he Region
PITTSBURGH GETS BACK TO BUSINESS
Thanks to a strong partnership throughout the local hospitality community, large business events and meetings have returned to Pittsburgh, bringing with them visitors, an economic boost to the region and more jobs for Pittsburghers.
The NAFA Institute and Expo, held at the David Lawrence Convention Center (DLCC) last month, marked Pittsburgh’s first large business event since March 2020. This one piece of business brought 900 attendees into the region, with 94 percent originating from outside destinations.
“The David L. Lawrence Convention Center has long stood ready to welcome back large business events thanks to the abundance of space, natural air ventilation system, and comprehensive hygiene initiatives implemented through the VenueShield Program,” said DLCC general manager, Tim Muldoon.
“This was our first live event since 2019, and the whole city and the convention center went out of their way to make sure we all felt safe and that the event went off without a hitch,” noted Bill Schankel, CEO of NAFA Fleet Management Association. “We were thrilled to get back in-person; it’s really important to us.”
Nearly 30 business meetings and events are scheduled for Pittsburgh through the end of the calendar year, including Emerald EDspaces 2021 in November, and the Pittsburgh Japanese Cultural Society 2021 Tekko in December.
www.visitpittsburgh.com
KINGSMILL RESORT'S VR (VERY REAL) MEETINGS
In response to Facebook’s announcement of a new digital conference space, Virginia’s only AAA Four-Diamond resort in Williamsburg is reminding guests that they, too, have a VR (very real) experience. With over 16,000-square feet of meeting space, Kingsmill Resort has welcomed businesses of all sizes to meet, dine and even play Fortnite - if they so choose.
“You can’t download these crisp, tasty, locally sourced stuffed crab hors d'oeuvres, Mr. Zuckerberg.”, said the resort’s director of marketing, Landon Stulen. "In a space that may be hard to concentrate when Mike from sales selected a Warlock for his avatar, Kingsmill’s Very Real conference space has been a welcoming retreat for companies for over three decades. While we continue to notify colleagues they are still on mute on Zoom, the success of the digital meeting space will be determined in the years to come."
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SMITHSONIAN’S PRESENTS “FUTURES”
The historic Arts and Industries Building (AIB) in Washington, DC, America’s first National Museum, will open its groundbreaking new museum experience “FUTURES” on November 20, 2021. On view through July 6, 2022, “FUTURES” is the Smithsonian’s first major building-wide exploration of the future and will temporarily reopen the Smithsonian’s oldest museum for the first time in nearly two decades.
The part-exhibition, part-festival will celebrate the Smithsonian’s 175th anniversary with more than 150 awe-inspiring objects, ideas, prototypes and installations that fuse art, technology, design and history to help visitors imagine many possible futures on the horizon.
“FUTURES” officially kicks off with “FUTURES Remixed,” a free opening festival spanning the month of November. Through multiple portals on-site, around Washington, DC, and streamed globally, “FUTURES Remixed” will invite people to experience a radically imagined future when those of diverse perspectives come together to learn, problem solve and create.
www.futuresremixed.com
THE WILDWOODS HAS SPIRIT
The Wildwoods Convention Center will host the Spirit Brands Island Cheerleading Championships for a day of aerial and acrobatic feats. This annual national competition will take place on November 14, 2021, an entertaining and exciting event that will include recreation, high school, college and all-star divisions, featuring teams from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware and beyond.
www.spiritbrands.org / www.wildwoodsnj.com
Celebrate the Holidays at Gaylord National
I Love Christmas Movies™ is an immersive pop-up experience featuring scenes from five beloved Christmas movies, including Elf™, A Christmas Story™, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation™ that come to life with special effects, animatronics, and even a few surprises. See recreations of the sets, props and moments from holiday movie favorites; say hello to Mr. Narwhal; step onto the Polar Express; or visit the Griswold’s home for Christmas dinner –all of this and more, only at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD.
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NEW CHARLOTTE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION PROJECT
The City of Charlotte, NC, the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA), construction partners, hospitality industry representatives and community leaders recently gathered for the official opening of the $126.9-million Charlotte Convention Center expansion. The nearly two-year-long construction project was successfully delivered on-time and on-budget, adding approximately 50,000-square feet of meeting and pre-function space, bringing the venue’s total leasable space to 600,000-square feet. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the pre-function space with natural light, creating a welcoming atmosphere with views of the cityscape.
A primary component of the expansion is an exterior over-street pedestrian walkway, which connects the Charlotte Convention Center to the adjacent 700-room Westin Charlotte, the city’s largest hotel, a LYNX Blue Line light rail stop, and provides access to the ever-expanding Stonewall Street corridor and Uptown Charlotte, which features over 200 restaurants, more than 6,000 hotel rooms, and numerous entertainment options.
www.charlottesgotalot.com
TOURISM REBOUNDING IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA
Throughout 2020-2021, tourism has provided a positive economic impact that has resonated across the Montgomery County community, according to an annual report released by the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board (VFTCB). Despite ups and downs from the pandemic, the Montco hospitality industry results saw steady improvements over 2020, with numbers in 2021 making a slow climb back toward 2019 levels, which had increased to record growth at that time, according to Tourism Economics.
“There have definitely been some tough moments over the last 18 months or so,” said Mike Bowman, president and CEO of the VFTCB. “From the Delta variant to damage from storms, flooding, and even tornadoes… you name it, it feels like it’s happened here in Montgomery County. But, we’ve been meeting those challenges together with the help and support of our county, members, and partners... Our restaurant business has been through the roof. Visitation to our attractions has been up. Our sales team has been traveling again.”
“Sports have definitely been a positive, silver lining through these challenging times,” added Lisa Karl, vice president of sales and strategic partnerships.
At least two VFTCB first-time initiatives also proved successful in promoting and supporting two of the segments hardest hit by COVID in the tourism industry: restaurants/Montco Makers (representing more than 1,850 restaurants, breweries, wineries, and distilleries in the county) and the arts (representing more than 200 venues). Montco’s family of 80 hotels (9,400 rooms) welcomed two new properties in 2021 with two more coming in 2022, and plus nine that started or completed renovations this year, too.
In further support of the industry, VFTCB has hosted a mix of inperson and virtual events, while traffic to MontcoGolf.com increased by 75 percent year-over-year with more than 3,000,000 impressions in digital advertising. Their Make It Main Street marketing initiative and partnership with County Commerce has continued to highlight small, local businesses, and ValleyForge.org saw more than a million pageviews.
“We may not be back to where we were in 2019, but we’re much better off than we were last year. We’ve found reasons to have hope for a brighter future,” proclaimed Bowman.
