Oct 05, 2015
Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and officials of the Kentucky International Convention Center recently unveiled the design and renderings for the downtown convention center’s expansion.
“The improvements for the Kentucky International Convention Center are very important to downtown Louisville and the many businesses that depend upon conventions in this city,” Beshear said.
He added, “This work will result in an annual economic impact of more than $50 million and will help retain current business and attract new conventions to Kentucky. Tourism is a major… more
Oct 04, 2015
LeftField Media added Washington, D.C.’s Awesome Con to its growing roster. Awesome Con, launched by Ben Penrod in 2013, is a pop culture convention set in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
The event has defined itself as one of the fastest-growing fan conventions in the U.S., and this year attracted more than 40,000 attendees.
“We’re thrilled to work with Ben and the Awesome Con team,” said Greg Topalian, president of LeftField Media. “Awesome Con is an incredible event, and DC is a very special region with tremendous fans. We look forward to taking Awesome Con to the next level… more
Oct 03, 2015
Penton added to its robust lifestyle and food portfolio with the acquisition of World Tea Media, an event and digital information company for the global tea industry, from F+W, a Content + eCommerce company.
World Tea Media includes the flagship show for the tea industry – World Tea Expo.
World Tea Expo will be led by Fred Linder, group president, Penton, who will continue to lead Penton's New Hope business as well as Penton Exhibition Services.
"An essential element of our strategy is to focus on high-growth sectors and extend leadership positions. World Tea Media is at… more
Oct 01, 2015
Cleveland’s I-X Center has added a unique component to its venue - a state-of-the art live performance space, where acoustically treated sound walls, elevated telescopic seating and custom staging all scales to various flexible configurations.
“Previously, our barriers attracting major concert promoters and national touring acts, included a lack of elevated seating and the sound quality in this industrial complex,” said Jeremy Levine, I-X Center vice president of Business Development.
He added, “We now offer a state-of the art performance space with remarkable flexibility and world class… more
Sep 30, 2015
Approximately 20,000 attendees from 100 different countries came to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families (WMOF) Congress, held Sept. 22-25 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
This year was the first time the congress was held in the United States.
Held every three years, the WMOF is the largest Catholic gathering of families. The theme of the World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015 was “Love Is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive,” emphasizing the impact of the love and life of families on our society.
Adult attendees received practical tips on how to improve their family… more
Sep 29, 2015
The Professional Convention Management Association recently launched its Business Events Series online training subscription.
The interactive series offers onDemand topical training and development tools for business events professionals.
Unique to the industry, PCMA will release three series modules annually – each tackling current topics relevant to the business events industry.
The “Digital Events” module, already released, will be followed by “Increased Revenues from Events” in October and Concepts in “Meeting Design” in December.
By purchasing the… more
Sep 29, 2015
With Las Vegas being chosen as one of four cities to host a presidential debate during the 2016 election season, any question on whether it’s a city where serious business gets done should be off the table, according to Chris Meyer, vice president of Global Business Sales at the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority.
“It takes away all possible argument of shows coming to Vegas,” Meyer said, an issue the city has grappled with, particularly in the government sector.
He added, “We’ll have both presidential candidates here and leadership from both of the parties.”
The Commission on… more
Sep 28, 2015
Have you voted yet for the TSNN Awards “Best of Show” nominees or submitted a nomination for the Show Manager of the Year awards? Both deadlines are this week!
Five shows were chosen for TSNN’s “Best of Show” award in which TSNN simply asked shows to tell us why they were the “best”.
Now, they need all of YOU to vote for which one you think deserves to be named the overall BEST show. The overall winner will be announced at the TSNN Awards in Atlanta Nov. 7.
The TSNN Awards honors the top 50 fastest-growing shows in the U.S. during a three-day weekend celebration.
The deadline to vote is Oct.… more
Sep 28, 2015
The popularity of virtual reality is evident with the huge jump in growth of that section of the showfloor for CES 2016.
Owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association and on tap Jan. 6-9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Gaming & Virtual Reality Marketplace footprint will jump 77 percent and feature 40 booths.
Exhibitors will showcase the next wave of immersive multimedia for virtual reality systems and environments and today's latest gaming hardware, software and accessories designed for mobile, PC's and consoles. Key exhibitors within this space include… more
Sep 26, 2015
For its 30th show, New Hope Natural Media’s Natural Products Expo East show not only attracted 25,000 attendees to the Baltimore (Md.) Convention Center, but also 1,363 exhibiting companies, representing the natural, organic and healthy living marketplace.
The show, held Sept. 16-19, was collocated with Biofach America - All Things Organic, NPA East, and the Harvest Festival.
“Each year, our mission is to build the growth potential for the attendees and exhibitors of Expo East, though we never lose sight of the tandem goal to create a stronger community between our industry and Baltimore… more
Partner Voices
Overview:
The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality.
In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way.
“We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.”
Amenities:
The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.
The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience
The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need.
Gold Key Members
The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events.
OCCC Events:
This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.
The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:
AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023
200,000 Attendees
$257 Million in Economic Impact
MEGACON 2023
160,000 Attendees
$205 Million in Economic Impact
Open Championship Series 2023
69,500 Attendees
$89 Million in Economic Impact
Sunshine Classic 2023
42,000 Attendees
$54 Million in Economic Impact
Premiere Orlando 2023
42,000 Attendees
$108 Million in Economic Impact