We're rounding up the biggest venue news of the month—in one convenient place. Got a tip? Get in touch!
In Case You Missed It
On BizBash recently, we learned why Hilton created a pop-up hotel room in the middle of a busy golf course, took an inside look at the design of the new Hard Rock Hotel New York, and rounded up global meeting and event destinations on each continent that caught our eye on Instagram.
We also highlighted new event-friendly venues in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston/San Antonio, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami/South Florida, Nashville, New York, Phoenix/Scottsdale, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver.
Here are four more things you should know this month...
1. Venues continue to lean into modern tech to create unique experiences.
As concepts like NFTs and the metaverse continue going mainstream, event venues are taking notice. Case in point: Chefs and restaurateurs like Tom Colicchio, Spike Mendelsohn, and the global Chotto Matte restaurant chain are using non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to act as memberships, in a sense, allowing holders to access exclusive perks and experiences.
“Everything about [our] NFT illustrates the boundaries we push for creativity," said Kurt Zdesar, founder and owner of Chotto Matte, in a recent interview with BizBash. "[Our NFT] allows us to create an exclusive membership club, with never-before-seen benefits like personal invitations, luxury accommodations, curated dining experiences, and more." Read more.
The metaverse also continues to be a popular way for venues to expand their reach. A recent standout example comes from Louisville, Ky.-based distillery Angel’s Envy, which recently unveiled its IRL venue expansion—along with a corresponding distillery experience in Decentraland. Open from June 14-20, the virtual space featured a gamified, educational distillery production tour and bourbon-making experience, interactive cocktail challenge, NFT wearable giveaways, and more. Read more.
Moxy Hotels, meanwhile, has launched the "Moxy Universe, Play Beyond" augmented-reality experience in Asia Pacific. Before arriving in person at one of 12 Moxy hotels in the region from July 12-Dec. 31, 2022, guests can access the Moxy Universe via their mobile devices and customize their own avatars. Upon checking in at each hotel’s Bar Moxy, guests can enter the Moxy Universe by scanning a QR code, which unlocks challenges and prize rewards throughout the hotel’s guest rooms and public spaces.
2. Sustainability efforts continue improving.
At IMEX in 2019, the Events Industry Council's (EIC) newly announced Centre for Sustainability and Social Impact introduced its bold goal for the entire meeting industry to become carbon neutral by 2050. And a few weeks ago, the center rolled out an updated version of its Sustainable Event Standards, a set of eight benchmarks designed to assess event venues, vendors, and organizations’ environmental and social responsibility.
Updates include a greater emphasis on education and tools, plus criteria and guidance has been tweaked to account for regional differences as well as diversity, accessibility, and more. The new certification model now includes an audit in the first and fourth years, and additional audits for suppliers. Criteria for EIC’s certification include having a designated staff member who can focus on sustainability, regular staff training on both sustainability and topics like human trafficking awareness, post-event sustainability reports, a program for donating or reusing event materials, and much more. Read more.
In perhaps another sign that venues and destinations are thinking seriously about climate action, Visit Greater Palm Springs has hired a director of sustainability and community engagement, Lauren Bruggemans. In the newly created role, Bruggemans will lead the destination’s efforts to grow and enhance workforce development, sustainability, DEI, and accessibility.
3. Hotel groups have contributed $1 million to human trafficking survivors.
Earlier this week, the American Hotel & Lodging Association Foundation launched the “No Room for Trafficking Survivors Fund,” a new national awareness program that offers direct financial support for survivors—including housing, childcare, transportation, and employment opportunities—along with additional training and education to prevent human trafficking in the hospitality industry. Hyatt Hotels Foundation has donated $500,000, while G6 Hospitality and Extended Stay America have donated an additional combined $500,000.
Related: What Event and Hospitality Pros Can Do Now to Combat Human Trafficking
4. COVID-19 requirement changes are expected to lead to more international travel.
Last month, when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted its requirement for travelers to test negative for COVID-19 before entering the country, travel and tourism data company MMGY Global surveyed 774 Americans and 436 Britons about the news—and the results may show positive signs for business travel and international events.
Among Americans, 36% are now more likely to travel outside the U.S. within the next six months (as opposed to just 20% who are less likely). For British respondents, the enthusiasm was even higher, and 52% said they are now more likely to book a trip to the U.S., as opposed to 11% who are less likely due to the lack of testing requirements.
“The travel industry has been lobbying for this restriction to be lifted for months, because the scientific data did not support a need for it,” said MMGY Global CEO Clayton Reid in a press release. “This is now the removal of an important barrier for continuing international travel recovery, both inbound and outbound U.S."
But, Reid added, "Our industry still needs to monitor how inflation and concerns around safety and social unrest are impacting travelers’ decisions. In our data, these are very real challenges.”
