Video: Event Innovator Mary Pat Heftman on Launching Groupon-Style Deals at the National Restaurant Show

March 14, 2012

For our second Innovation Issue, we interviewed the National Restaurant Association's executive vice president of convention Mary Pat Heftman, discussing how she implemented an online group buying service for the National Restaurant Show, the largest food and beverage trade show in North and South America.

WorldPride D.C. took place May 17-June 8.

WorldPride DC: How Event Organizers Created a Safe Space for the LGBTQ+ Community in the Nation's Capital

Spanning several rooms of the Mercer Labs Museum of Art and Technology in New York City, a recent Don Julio experience allowed visitors to step inside tech-driven installations that were powered by cinematic projections, 4D spatial audio, and evocative scents like the warm aromas of roasted agave and rich oak. See more: See Inside This High-Tech, Multisensory Experience from Don Julio

Event Tech Check: Cool New Tools for Attendee Engagement, Destination Sourcing, and More

2025 Industry Innovators Article Image Brands

Industry Innovators 2025: 10 Brands That Took Experiential Marketing to a Whole New Level

Top Trending Stories on BizBash: June 2025

Event Production & Fabrication

WorldPride DC: How Event Organizers Created a Safe Space for the LGBTQ+ Community in the Nation's Capital

The massive celebration was a challenge for many reasons, but the global Pride event was still authentically D.C. Hear from organizers at Destination DC and Capital Pride Alliance.

WorldPride D.C. took place May 17-June 8.

Event Tech & Tools

Event Tech Check: Cool New Tools for Attendee Engagement, Destination Sourcing, and More

BizBash takes a deep dive into the newest tech solutions for events of all types, plus the latest must-know industry news.

Spanning several rooms of the Mercer Labs Museum of Art and Technology in New York City, a recent Don Julio experience allowed visitors to step inside tech-driven installations that were powered by cinematic projections, 4D spatial audio, and evocative scents like the warm aromas of roasted agave and rich oak. See more: See Inside This High-Tech, Multisensory Experience from Don Julio

Brands & Event Pros

Industry Innovators 2025: 10 Brands That Took Experiential Marketing to a Whole New Level

These companies broke through the noise with creative activations, events, and experiences that engaged attendees, fans, and consumers.

2025 Industry Innovators Article Image Brands

Opinion & Experts

Top Trending Stories on BizBash: June 2025

Wondering what the rest of the industry is up to? Here, BizBash offers a peek over the fence at what other event profs have been reading this month.

Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships

Cannes Lions 2025: 90+ Bold Builds and Big Ideas From the French Festival of Creativity

LinkedIn, Spotify, Canva, Pinterest, Meta, and dozens of other top brands showed up in a big way at the world’s most creative week. Take a look inside their splashy activations.

LinkedIn's Rooftop & Studio

Fanatics Fest 2025: This Mega Celebration of Sports Fandom Returned For a Bigger, Bolder Second Year

The second-ever Fanatics Fest was a championship-size arena where $200 million in memorabilia and countless celebrity sightings meshed with high-energy activations and experiences that nodded to the culture and swagger of NYC.

The second-ever Fanatics Fest returned to New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Center June 20-22.

Cannes Lions 2025: 90+ Bold Builds and Big Ideas From the French Festival of Creativity

50 Cool Event Ideas You May Have Missed From Liquid I.V., Martha Stewart, Foot Locker, and More

Fanatics Fest 2025: This Mega Celebration of Sports Fandom Returned For a Bigger, Bolder Second Year

Inside the Build: How Bellagio Fountain Club Delivers F1® Weekend’s Most Luxurious Hospitality Experience

Industry Innovators 2025: 10 Brands That Took Experiential Marketing to a Whole New Level

Gov Ball 2025: 25+ Eye-Catching Brand Activations From the NYC Music Festival

9 New Venues in Chicago for Summer 2025 Meetings and Events

Take a peek at these buzzworthy restaurants, hotels, meeting and event spaces, and more recently opened in Chicago.

The Talbott Hotel

The Future of Meetings Is in Cincy

Cincy is redefining what's next in meetings and events.

Downtown Cincinnati's $240 million reimagined Duke Energy Convention Center

Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships

Block Party: See How Minecraft Was Transformed Into an IRL Video Game

The popular game has been turned into an interactive in-person experience that just opened in Canada.

Visitors embark on a rescue mission with a team of fellow Minecrafters.

7 Event Venues in St. Louis That Will Wow Attendees

From an architectural playground and museum to a luxury hotel, visitors are sure to be pleasantly surprised.

Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships

50 Cool Event Ideas You May Have Missed From Liquid I.V., Martha Stewart, Foot Locker, and More

Here’s a look at some steal-worthy ideas we spotted in June 2025.

The pop-up brought the magazine to life through live hair demonstrations by local stylists, along with immersive moments designed to honor the legacy, creativity, and versatility of Black hair.

Turning Corporate Messaging Into Human Storytelling

A thoughtful approach to content, design, and production

Garret Gray, president of Cotality's Protect Business Unit, opens the general session.

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