The good citizens of St. Louis are kind to their neighbors and welcoming of strangers. At least that’s one thing you could take away from the fact that the taxpayers of St. Louis have long made it a priority to fund a variety of attractions so they are free to visitors.

Michael Sam, a star college football defensive end, became the first openly gay NFL player to be drafted in the league. Sam now speaks about his experience through Keppler Speakers including the keynote at Association Forum’s 30th annual Holiday Showcase, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

The American pastime is proving to be a fertile field for baseball stadiums—also known as baseball parks—that are courting meetings and events. In fact, many new ballparks that have been built in the last decade or so count on non-game revenue as a healthy portion of their revenue.

The death of an attendee at NeoCon 2018, held in Chicago’s theMART in June, recently sparked a wrongful death lawsuit against Merchandise Mart Properties, Hollander Design Group—the designer of an exhibit floor showroom swing—and The David Edward Company that operated the showroom.

MPI announced its 2019 International Board of Directors and 2019 MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees. 

Meeting Planners Unite, an association of independent meeting planners that was formed in the wake of the Marriott International commission cuts in early 2018, announced it is offering a healthcare plan for members.

UNITE HERE Local 2 hotel union workers ratified an agreement with Marriott International to end its 63-day strike in San Francisco, the last city to settle after a series of strikes at Marriott properties across the U.S. Strikes were held and later resolved in Boston, Detroit, Oakland (California), San Diego, San Jose, Seattle, Oakland and locations in on Oahu and Maui (Hawaii).

Matthias Schultze, managing director of the German Convention Bureau, was named the recipient of the Joint Meetings Industry Council’s 2018 JMIC Profile and Power Award. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing the meetings industry forward.

Meetings Today Chief Content Director Tyler Davidson shares his personal stories and fond memories of California's the Cow Palace—a quirky and sometimes smelly venue for conventions and other major events—that also serves long-running home of the Grand National Rodeo.

Marriott International is taking a $126 million hit to pay for the massive data breach discovered in its Starwood Hotels division in November 2018. The news reinforces the need for meeting planners to protect the data security of their attendees who book or stay at hotels.