Meeting and event audiovisual is one of those things as an attendee you often don’t notice until it blows you away—or blows up a meeting when it doesn’t work. Following are some key observations by meeting planners and AV suppliers on how planners should enter the audiovisual void and negotiate with confidence, with an eye on the bottom line.

It's been nearly a year since actress Alyssa Milano reignited the #MeToo movement, persuading millions of people to take a stand against sexual harassment. Today, two women are moving the conversation forward in the meetings and events industry, helping planners and organizations fight and address misconduct. Sarah Soliman Daudin, president and CEO of Soliman Productions, and Courtney Stanley, speaker, writer and business consultant at CS Consulting, created #MeetingsToo and launched a presentation, How to Prevent and Manage Sexual Harassment at Events, at the recent 2018 MPI World Education Congress (WEC) in Indianapolis. 

The TWA Hotel is gearing up for its spring 2019 opening at John F. Kennedy International Airport by offering planners a first look at its 50,000 square feet of meeting and event spaces. The overall project, led by MCR and MORSE Development, is restoring and reimagining Eero Saarinen’s landmark 1962 TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport and transforming it into a 512-room hotel.

Meeting Professionals Against Human Trafficking (MPAHT) marked the United Nations World Day Against Trafficking in Persons by becoming a signatory to The Code. The Code, short for “The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism” is an industry-driven initiative to provide awareness, tools and support to combat the sexual exploitation of children.

Germany’s Frankfurt Airport was evacuated Tuesday afternoon (August 7, 2018), local time, after a security lapse in which a French family was released into a security area following a positive test for explosives. After being located and answering questions, the family was allowed to travel further.

The Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC) hosted a grand opening ceremony, Monday, Aug. 6, 2018 following a two-year, $207 million renovation and expansion project. State and local government officials, along with KICC facility officials and staff welcomed meeting clients, local stakeholders, interested citizens, and media to an open house that showcased how the new facility will host small to large-scale events.

Markey's Rental & Staging provides five essential questions for meeting planners to ask their audiovisual suppliers.

Total U.S. government conference spending for fiscal year 2017 decreased 15.7% after three consecutive years of growth, according to an analysis by STR’s Market Insights team. Total conference spend in 2017 was $140 million after the government spent $166 million in 2016. Previous yearly totals were $121 million in 2015, $120 million in 2014, $100 million in 2013 and $276 million in 2012.

AccorHotels signed an agreement to acquire 85 percent of 21c Museum Hotels, an award-winning hospitality management company that melds the hotel world with a museum experience. The 21c company features a multi-venue contemporary art museum, boutique hotels and chef-driven restaurants, with 11 properties currently open and under development across the U.S.

Sue Wigston, COO of Eagles Flight, outlines five ways meeting planners can make their meetings more interactive and build attendee engagement.