IACC, the association that represents the global conference center segment, is set to more than double its number of European facilities within the next four months if a deal to add the supplier members of two conference center groups comes to fruition, according to IACC CEO Mark Cooper.

Cvent announced its acquisition of Social Tables—an event diagramming, seating and collaboration platform—on Tuesday, October 16. Cvent said the acquisition will help improve collaboration, create a more interactive sourcing experience and increase group sales at venues.

In a Smart Monday session at IMEX 2018 named “Redesigning Inclusive and Welcoming Events by Overcoming Unconscious Bias,” presenters Mariela Mcilwraith, director, industry advancement, EIC and Tahira Endean, event producer, TahiraCreates. focused on ways planners can consider the perspectives and needs of potential participants to design events that are inclusive and accessible to all.

Marriott International Chief Marketing Officer, Americas Steve Heitzner fills Meetings Today in on the hotel giant's recent moves.

The Smart Monday educational day at IMEX America kicked off at full stride on Monday, October 15, with Event Manager Blog Founder & Editor Julius Solaris revving up the crowd with an inspirational address that illustrated the powerful tool for change that meetings and events provide on a global scale.

MPI announced Kevin Kirby as the new executive director of the MPI Foundation. He replaced Christine Roberts who resigned from the executive director position on October 4, 2018, in the wake of gross misconduct allegations of steering over a quarter million dollars in contracts to her boyfriend’s event company.

The mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest festival on October 1, 2017, tragically underscored the challenges of securing one of the world’s most active leisure and business destinations. In Las Vegas, built on tourism and meetings, security monitoring is a formidable task, with metrics to match.

IMEX America 2018 opens in Las Vegas on Tuesday, October 16, highlighting destinations, venues, hotels, technology specialists and service suppliers from 150 countries. The more than 3,500 exhibitors will set a new milestone for IMEX America, making it the largest ever in the history of the event.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa’s GO Cedar Rapids CVB ceased operations after incurring $2.3 million in debts from producing the “newbo evolve” festival, according to a report in The Gazette, a local area newspaper.

The flu and cold season wreaks havoc on the workforce each year. Beyond the office environment, the flu and cold season also greatly affects those who travel for business or the meeting and event planners and attendees who travel to and network at meetings and events. Fortunately, there are measures that can be taken to protect meeting and event planners and attendees from catching and spreading germs and illnesses. According to the CDC, the simple act of handwashing can prevent 20 percent of respiratory infections such as the common cold and the flu.