In Case You Missed It
This month on BizBash's Meetings & Trade Shows vertical, we sat down for an in-depth conversation with Events DC's new leader, Angie Gates. She discussed her appreciation for the city, how she plans to leverage her entertainment and venue management background in her new role, her Emmy-winning projects, and the boxing lesson that stays with her (yes, she's even trained as a professional boxer!).
In December, we also explored the question: "Should you involve your audience in the event-planning process?" We asked a number of event professionals how they effectively seek both pre- and post-event feedback from their audiences—and what pitfalls they try to avoid. Find their useful tips here.
And don't forget to review our Top 100 Events of 2022, where we dove into the U.S. and Canada's biggest benefits, sports tournaments, trade shows, conferences, and other gatherings that made the most impact this past year.
Lastly on BizBash this month, we wrote about mushrooms—sort of. Our contributor Tracy Block explored the world of psychedelic events and reasons why they're expected to bloom in 2023. "As the U.S. prepares for the legalization of psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs, event professionals are on its heels, eager to propel the psychedelic renaissance," she wrote.
Here are five more things you should know about this month...
1. PCMA gears up for Convening Leaders—with an Oscar-winning speaker.
In less than three weeks, PCMA will hold its annual Convening Leaders event in Columbus, Ohio from Jan. 8-11 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. This year's theme is "ignite your path," and high-profile speakers on the docket include businesswoman and politician Carly Fiorina, Olympic track and field star Allyson Felix, bestselling author and organizational psychologist Adam Grant, and Oscar winner Viola Davis.
Davis—an actor, producer, and philanthropist—will take the stage on Jan. 11 during a fireside chat with host Holly Ransom. According to a press release, Davis "will share the humble journey that led to her revered career and give insight into how PCMA’s global community can illuminate the narratives of the voiceless. ... She plans to share her journey from humble beginnings in Rhode Island to becoming a tour de force on the New York stage and beyond. Her story will reveal the path she took to find her purpose—and voice—in a world that didn’t always see her."
Other can't-miss happenings at Convening Leaders? If you're attending, hot tickets—along with the aforementioned speakers—include John Legend's performance during the conference’s Networking Reception on Jan. 10 at Nationwide Arena. (Ohio is even Legend's home state.) Slated education is also chock full of timely topics like sustainability, AI, the metaverse, and wellness.
2. Visalia, Calif., becomes the country’s first Certified Autism Destination.
As the conversation around event accessibility gets louder, one city in California has taken a big step ahead. Visalia—located in the San Joaquin Valley and often known as the gateway to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks—has been designated the first-ever Certified Autism Destination in the country, awarded by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).
This follows a year-long effort by Visit Visalia, the city's DMO, to better address the travel needs of autistic visitors and their families in the destination. The DMO encouraged its key tourism partners to participate in a specialized autism training program and become Certified Autism Centers. The training is designed for front-facing hospitality and service staff to better recognize and respond to the needs of travelers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). With 42% of the city’s key hotels and several family friendly attractions certified, Visalia earned its designation.
Visalia’s tourism businesses are providing accommodations like sensory guides, signage, quiet spaces, and low-sensory nights.Photo: Courtesy of Visit Visalia
"Visalia has long prided itself in being a welcoming and inviting community, and this was a collective effort by the tourism industry to make experiences sensory-friendly and remove barriers, ensuring every visitor can feel comfortable during and enjoy their stay as they explore our vibrant downtown and nearby national parks," John Oneto, board chair of Visit Visalia, said in a statement.
In addition to training, Visalia’s tourism businesses are providing accommodations like sensory guides, signage, quiet spaces, and low-sensory nights. For example, the city is hosting three sensory-friendly holiday events this year, and the ImagineU Children’s Museum created sensory-friendly nights once a month that began in September and will resume in the new year.
According to IBCCES' research for Autism Travel, recent studies show that 87% of parents with an autistic child do not travel, but 93% would be more likely to if autism certified options were available.
3. Niagara Falls Convention Centre becomes Canada's first convention center to be Certified Sensory Inclusive.
In more accessibility certification news, the Niagara Falls Convention Centre (NFCC) worked with nonprofit KultureCity to become Canada's first convention center to be Certified Sensory Inclusive. To receive this new certification, the NFCC team was trained by medical professionals to better recognize guests with sensory needs and to learn how to handle sensory overload situations.
In addition to training, NFCC is now outfitted with sensory bags that guests can borrow during the event, and they can also visit dedicated quiet spaces. Each bag is equipped with noise-cancelling headphones (provided by Puro Sound Labs), fidget tools, verbal cue cards, and a KultureCity lanyard to help staff easily identify guests.
"A heightened sensory atmosphere can be a part of the environment here at Niagara Falls Convention Centre," said NFCC president and CEO Noel Buckley in a press release. "As the largest meeting facilities in the Niagara region, we often host multiple events concurrently. Partnering with KultureCity allows our facility to become more inclusive and respectful of our guest's needs when arriving/departing and attending an event with us."
4. Boston CVB has rebranded to Meet Boston.
Planning a program in Boston? If so, it's important to note that the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau is now Meet Boston. The DMO announced the change at its annual meeting earlier this month to more than 400 hoteliers, restaurateurs, and attraction/event executives. Meet Boston worked with local advertising agency Allen & Gerritsen on the new name, as well as on a new campaign theme, “Boston never gets old."
"The new Meet Boston corporate identity reflects our plans to continually elevate Boston across the world, and the ‘Boston never gets old’ advertising and marketing campaign captures both our tradition and innovation," said Meet Boston president and CEO Martha J. Sheridan in a press release.
The guiding pillars of the campaign are to "be inclusive, be newsworthy, be in motion, be historic, be transportive, and be proud." Scouting for venues in Boston? Check out these 12 new and renovated venues that recently debuted.
5. Pennsylvania Convention Center and labor partners launch safety and skills program.
The Pennsylvania Convention Center (PCC) and its trade show labor partners have launched a joint initiative dedicated to expanding and building upon existing training programs in safety, development of technical skills, and customer-service and hospitality. The new Hospitality Industry Advancement Trust (HIAT) Fund will support training opportunities focused in safety, skills, and hospitality.
"[Our labor partners] are making a long-term commitment to ensuring the labor personnel who work in our facility not only have the latest safety and skills training, but also a high-level of hospitality-focused training," said John McNichol, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority, in a press release. "The partnership and cooperative relationship between management and our show floor labor workforce is remarkable, and it's having a real, substantive impact on the customer-experience."
To ensure the trust receives consistent funding, the trade show labor unions will make a donation to the fund for every hour worked with a union member, an amount that will then be matched by the Pennsylvania Convention Center's management. The PCC's four trade show labor partners include Laborers' International Local 332, IATSE Local 8 (Stagehands), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 98, and Iron Workers Local 405.
