News
Mar 07, 2017
The city of Albany has unveiled the Albany Capitol Center, a $78.5 million, state-of-the-art meetings and convention facility.
As the newest addition to the city’s downtown Capital Complex, the ACC joins the Empire State Plaza Convention Center, The Egg Performing Arts Center and the Times Union Center to comprise a four-building campus now known as the largest meetings and event space in upstate New York, with 160,000 square feet of combined space.
Located within walking distance of the New York State Capitol, the new facility made its official debut last week with a grand opening ribbon-… more
Mar 07, 2017
Mega Expo, formerly known as Kenfair, a Hong Kong based exhibition organiser, reported its interim results for the six months ended on 31st December 2016. The company reported revenues of US$12 million, down by 40% year-on-year. Mega Expo posted a net loss of US$1.5 million in the six-month period, compared with a loss of US$2.2 million in the same period of the previous year.
The vast majority of its revenue is generated by its exhibition organising business, which fell by 40%. Revenues from exhibition-related services dropped by 97%, down to just US$9,000.
Mega Expo attributed the drop in… more
Mar 07, 2017
The largest privately-owned convention centre in southern Philippines, SMX Convention Center Davao, plans to expand its facilities.
The new building will start construction later this year and will connect with the existing SMX Davao facility. The capacity of the new building has not yet been confirmed, but management claims that it will be expanded to accommodate up to 7,500 pax.
After the completion of the new facilities, the venue will aim to host larger and more international events. The new facilities are expected to be completed in late 2018 or early 2019.
Mar 06, 2017
By Elizabeth Johnson
“Get the right message, in front of the right people, at the right time.” It’s a common phrase, practically a mantra for today’s marketer. And the key to achieving that goal is data.
Event-producing organizations cover the spectrum of sophistication when it comes to data driven marketing. Some are at the beginning of implementing a robust data collection system and others are using data to plan future content, develop marketing strategies and find new audiences.
“Conferences and tradeshows live or die by the quality of their data,” said Kevin Miller, president and chief… more
Mar 04, 2017
Life may have gotten a little bit easier for trade show buyers who have long wished for a quick and easy way to collect, manage and share product sourcing data on-the-go.
Enter ShowSourcing, a new mobile app that allows buyers and product managers to take notes and gather valuable information during trade shows, factory visits, supplier meetings or other sourcing events.
Touted as a mix between Evernote, Facebook and Salesforce, this digital data collection tool also enables users to organize, archive and share product, supplier and competitor information securely across sourcing teams,… more
Mar 03, 2017
It goes without saying that trade shows and events are incredibly tough on the environment, producing massive amounts of waste and carbon emissions each year. According to MeetGreen, the typical conference attendee creates more than four pounds of waste and just under 400 pounds of CO2 emissions per day.
As a show organizer, you know you should do your part to help the planet by taking your events in a more sustainable direction, but you’re concerned that going green will not only be more labor intensive, but also more expensive.
But what it if was possible to make big changes and decrease… more
Mar 03, 2017
ConvExx, long-time show management company in the auto aftermarket space, has acquired Mobile Tech Expo from Kevin Halewood.
"Mobile Tech Expo is the premier showcase for the paintless dent repair, detailing and automotive mobile service industries, and we look forward to continuing that mission", said Chuck Schwartz, ConvExx CEO.
He added, "We understand and appreciate the Show's principles, and look to build upon what has been built as we strive to best serve the mobile automotive aftermarket."
Its founder, Kevin Halewood, will remain with ConvExx and continue as show director of Mobile… more
Mar 02, 2017
U.K.-based Informa's Global Exhibitionsdivision bought Yachting Promotions, the operator of some of the largest yachting and boat shows in the U.S., for $133 million.
“With this acquisition, Informa Exhibitions becomes the world’s leading yacht show organizer,” said Charlie McCurdy, Informa Exhibitions’ CEO.
He added, “Combining the world’s premiere show, based in Europe, with these five shows in North America creates a scale player in this attractive and growing vertical, further strengthening our relationship with leading yacht brokers and builders, providing good opportunities for cross… more
Mar 02, 2017
As part of its ‘Events First’ strategy, U.K.-based UBM made huge leaps in 2016, as it continues to realign its overall portfolio with the completed sale of its PR Newswire division and the acquisitions of Allworld Exhibitions, Content Marketing World and Business Journals, Inc., to name a few.
The company’s annual earnings report recently was released, indicating the events division was up last year to $874 million, compared with $775 million in 2015.
In North America, 2016 revenues were up to $363 million, compared with $303 million the year before.
UBM’s CEO Tim Cobbold took time from his… more
Mar 01, 2017
In a year when two of its largest biennial shows – Labelexpo Europe and Dubai Airshow - did not run, U.K.-based Tarsus Group scored like-for-like revenue growth of 8 percent and across the portfolio buyers increased by 7 percent on a like for like basis in 2016, well ahead of the company’s target of 5 percent.
“Our 'Quickening the Pace' growth strategy continued to deliver in 2016. Organic growth was strong at 8 percent, and we grew our buyer attendance, a key metric for us, by a very encouraging 7 percent,” said Douglas Emslie, Tarsus Group’s managing director.
He added, “Strategically, we… 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