News
Feb 03, 2016
Private equity firm Sentinel Capital Partners bought Marketplace Events, which organizes home and garden shows in the United States and Canada. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"We are very excited about our investment in Marketplace Events," said Michael Fabian, a partner at Sentinel. "We seek to invest in niche market leaders, and Marketplace Events is the clear leader in the North American home and garden show industry.”
He added, “Moreover, the business was extremely resilient during the 2008 economic downturn and should benefit from positive tailwinds in the home remodeling and… more
Feb 03, 2016
Dallas-based Omni Hotels & Resorts broke ground on its 30-story, 853,000-square-foot hotel and luxury apartment complex today in downtown Louisville adjacent to the Kentucky International Convention Center.
“The Omni is a game-changer for Louisville’s hospitality industry increasing our convention business potential in a competitive marketplace. Louisville currently hosts 12.7 million visitors each year,” said Karen Williams, president and CEO of the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau.
He added, “A hotel project of this scope will help support further tourism growth.”
The Omni… more
Feb 02, 2016
UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry’s Global Barometer Survey, which takes the pulse of the trade show industry worldwide, indicated that North America and Europe, with the exception of Russia, are predicting positive revenue results in 2016.
On the other hand, in the Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa, the situations remain generally positive, but with a certain level of uncertainty.
In Central and South America half of the surveyed companies are expecting decreases of turnover, but an improvement is expected in Brazil for the second half of 2016.
“Despite limited… more
Feb 01, 2016
The trade show industry had a strong kick off for 2016, with shows posting big exhibitor and attendee numbers that focused on not only what the newest gourmet food trends might be, but also the latest in musical instruments and everything that someone interested in shooting and hunting might need.
The 2016 Winter Fancy Food Show, owned by the Specialty Food Association and held Jan. 17-19 at Moscone Center in San Francisco, drew 1,500 exhibitors from across the U.S. and 28 countries to exhibit space that covered 215,000 square feet, enough to fill more than four football fields with food.… more
Jan 31, 2016
Each year, Trade Show News Network compiles a list of the Top 250 Trade Shows ranked by net square footage in the United States and Top 50 trade shows ranked by net sq. footage in Canada.
Submissions to be included on the 2015 lists are now open, and the shows must have occurred in 2015. Shows that are over 40,000 net sq. ft. have an opportunity to make the list. The form to fill out is HERE, and the deadline is Feb. 15.
TSNN is proud to present valuable data to the industry, which is based on in-depth information provided by show organizers about their events.
The Association of Equipment… more
Jan 31, 2016
Simply defined, a Twitter chat is a set period of time (usually an hour) where a group of people discuss a topic through tweets that include an established chat hashtag.
It can be a useful tool in raising the event’s brand awareness, building interest in the event, providing additional value to event participants, extending the event’s content beyond the actual event and creating a strong and loyal community.
The Content Marketing Institute (CMI) holds a #CMWorld Twitter chat every week with more than 100 active participants.
“Our Twitter chats are a great way for our… more
Jan 31, 2016
Simply defined, a Twitter chat is a set period of time (usually an hour) where a group of people discuss a topic through tweets that include an established chat hashtag.
It can be a useful tool in raising the event’s brand awareness, building interest in the event, providing additional value to event participants, extending the event’s content beyond the actual event and creating a strong and loyal community.
The Content Marketing Institute (CMI) holds a #CMWorld Twitter chat every week with more than 100 active participants.
“Our Twitter chats are a great way for our… more
Jan 30, 2016
San Antonio unveiled the $325 million Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center expansion, which marks the largest capital improvement project in the City of San Antonio’s history and increases the footprint to 1.6 million square feet.
Festivities were celebrated with the unveiling of “Liquid Crystal,” a public art installation by artist Jason Bruges that is located in the center’s expansive new lobby atrium.
Its 3,510 LCD interactive panels create a digital fountain effect where the flow depends upon the amount of people and activity filling the atrium. It is one of three new art installations in… more
Jan 28, 2016
This year kicked off right with the LA Fit Expo, where nearly 60,000 expected attendees were on hand to share their love of fitness and health.
The conference and exhibition was held Jan. 23-24 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. With so much going on at the show, it was hard to know where to go first. And, with the two-day format, attendees packed the floor to get in as much as possible.
The showfloor had exhibitors, martial arts demonstrations and competition, group fitness classes, attendee competitions, such as body building and exercise, and the Healthy Eating Pavilion,… more
Jan 28, 2016
Not only do business leaders say in-person meetings are beneficial to operations, according to a new survey released by the national coalition Meetings Mean Business, but also face-to-face is critical to career development.
As a result, corporate leaders are making in-person meetings a financial priority and report increasing investment in face-to-face meetings in 2016.
“The survey looks at how face-to-face meetings help drive top-line growth and bottom line results for the business community, said Richard Harper, executive vice president at HelmsBriscoe and co-chair of Meetings Mean Business… 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