In the first Wednesday Wrap special episode of the Meetings Today Podcast, Tyler Davidson talks about the major events of the last week in the meetings industry and what Meetings Today has been working on, including his March 2019 cover story on San Franciso's work to help those who are homeless.

While Cvent is the leading industry data and RFP platform for planners and suppliers, it is also a major producer of meetings. According to Rachel Andrews, director of meetings and events at Cvent, planning for the event tech giant is a source of constant change, whether stitching together its annual Cvent CONNECT conference, integrating staffs and resources after one of its many acquisitions or any number of other internal or client events.

Organized by the Hilton San Francisco Union Square Community Projects Manager Jo Licata, and Parc 55-A Hilton Hotel, the three-day immersion indeed found our group enjoying the amenities of both of these top-notch, popular convention hotels, but by venturing outside of their front doors we discovered the soul of a neighborhood and the unceasing dedication of the hotels and community leaders to improve the lives of its residents.

Losing a $40 million piece of business tends to get one’s attention. Thus was the case in July 2018 when the American Anesthesiology Society decided to locate its annual outside of San Francisco, citing concerns for the safety, or at least the perception of safety, of attendees due to the city’s intractable homelessness and vagrancy epidemic.

Orlando hotelier Harris Rosen donated $12 million to the University of Florida and UF Health to launch a brain tumor research initiative. Given through The Harris Rosen Foundation, the gift is described as the cornerstone of a $100 million fundraising commitment to support the ReMission Alliance Against Brain Tumors. The UF Health-led initiative unites top neuro-oncology physicians and scientists in research and clinical trials.

The U.S. Travel Association announced that Destination DC President & CEO Elliott L. Ferguson II will be its new national chair, succeeding Wyndham Hotels and Resorts’ President & CEO Geoff Ballotti.

A center of arts and culture in North Carolina’s booming Triad Region, Greensboro boasts world-class historic and cultural venues such as the International Civil Rights Museum and a thriving theater scene. But while museums and theater may temporarily seize the attention of attendees with their refined offerings, a pint of cold craft brew and some fantastic restaurants are also at the ready.

Meetings industry veteran Sandy Biback, who worked as a planner in a variety of capacities over a 35-year career, has jumped headlong into a new all-consuming endeavor since retiring: battling human trafficking through Meeting Professionals Against Human Trafficking, or MPAHT. Here she shares some top-level tips to fight human trafficking for planners, suppliers and venues.

The unconditional love of a loyal dog can soften the hardest edges—and experiences—of the toughest among us. A new program offered by Pechanga Resort & Casino embodies that concept by pairing service dogs with their veteran and first responder owners who are living with PTSD.