VisitDallas executives, including CEO Phillip Jones, addressed major concerns brought to light in a Dallas City Hall audit that claimed a lack of oversight of the bureau.

The trends revealed in the future of business events study by Marriott and PCMA, as presented at Convening Leaders 2019, touched on the following areas: emotional intelligence, orchestrated serendipity, multimodal design, bigger than oneself and sense of place.

As the U.S. government shutdown continues, one of the major issues that could have an increasingly detrimental impact on travel safety and convenience is Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers calling out from work. The situation has the potential to leave passengers dealing with longer lines at TSA checkpoints and possibly less security restrictions should the problem ensue.

As PCMA Convening Leaders 2019 continues in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the association announced that it became a signatory of The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism, in partnership with ECPAT-USA, also known as The Code.

Effective January 7, 2019, visitors to Japan will pay a 1,000 yen (about $9 USD) departure tax when leaving the country, regardless of nationality. The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) reported that the tax is expected to expand and enhance the country’s tourist infrastructure.

The massive data breach of guest information at Marriott-owned Starwood Hotels & Resorts properties revealed by Marriott International at the end of November 2018 has grown in its severity, with the passport numbers of more than 5 million guests compromised, according to The New York Times.

On October 1, 2020, current driver’s licenses in 27 U.S. states will no longer be valid to board a domestic commercial airline flight in the U.S. California rolled out its Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses January 2, 2019. The new driver’s license costs $35 and a new identification card costs $30.

Joan Eisenstodt interviews veteran meeting professionals about how planners can bring live theatre to meetings and events.

Cosmopolitan hotel in Las Vegas is joining the list of properties offering free self- and valet parking fees for overnight hotel guests as of January 1, 2019. The parking fee was previously $10 per night, however, the hotel is simultaneously raising the daily resort fee by $4 per night, going from $35 to $39. Day visitors at the Cosmopolitan without will still be charged hourly parking fees.

NGALA Wildlife Preserve, located on a private, wooded 42-acre property outside Naples, Florida, caters to corporate events and is a home for a variety of rescued animals that cannot be reintroduced back to the wild. NGALA, which translates from Swahili to “Place of the Lion,” was founded by Donovan Smith nearly 20 years ago and is currently home to about 45 animals in addition to over 100 venomous reptiles introduced to the preserve by Smith’s “better half,” Khara Geders.