Caesars Entertainment has sold its Las Vegas off-Strip Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino property for $516.3 million to the New York-based Imperial Companies real estate company. Caesars will continue to operate Rio for two years and pay an annualized rent of $45 million.

Over a few sips of a Smoked Rye Manhattan, I sat down with Nicole Tilzer, director, Signia Hilton and Hilton Hotels & Resorts Brand Marketing, to talk about Hilton’s innovative new lobby bar concept and an update on the company’s new Signia brand.

CWT Meetings & Events released its 2020 Future Trends Report at IMEX America 2019 in Las Vegas in September. The report details some exciting trends in the industry like digitalization, expanding markets and the surge of experiential events.

Tourism Toronto announced the appointment of Scott Beck as President and CEO. Beck has served as the President and CEO of Visit Salt Lake in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the past 14 years and will begin his new role at Tourism Toronto on Oct. 15.

Z Resorts debuted Hotel ZaZa Austin in downtown’s Warehouse District. The hotel features a restaurant, craft cocktail bar, spa, rooftop pool and pool bar and ample meeting and event space.

JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa completed a host of property renovations. The project included the lobby, Hashani Spa, JW Market, Salud Terrace and exterior enhancements.

Carté Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton opened its doors in San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood. The 246-room property is located steps away from restaurants, the Embarcadero waterfront and the downtown business district.

Groups will see more food and beverage using CBD, plant-based protein and ugly produce next year, according to Benchmark’s recently released Top Dining Trends for 2020.

The Events Industry Council (EIC) along with global industry partners launched the EIC Centre for Sustainable Events. This virtual space will offer resources and knowledge for those in the meetings and events industry looking to implement or increase sustainable practices. It also provides resources for planners to connect with others that are already doing so.

IMEX America’s 2019 edition, held September 10-12 at Las Vegas’ Sands Expo, shattered a number of attendance and exhibition records. Although official numbers have not been released, IMEX Group Chairman Ray Bloom said he expects the final attendance figure to be just under 14,000 meeting professionals.