Trevina Height was appointed director of catering and conference services for Delta Hotels - Marriott Dallas Allen & Watters Creek Convention Center, a Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property under construction in the city of Allen, Texas, north of Dallas. The full-service hotel and convention center is scheduled to open in January of 2019.

Teneo Hospitality Group appointed Susan Hinfey as director of sales, Western US. Hinfey will concentrate on the West Coast territory and comes to us with over 20 years of sales experience with luxury hotels.

Visit Anaheim announced the creation of a new convention sales manager position that focuses on mid-sized conventions. This addition allows the entire Visit Anaheim team to devote additional time to assist customers and fully understand their business needs.

Several major airlines have waived change fees as Hurricane Lane is barreling toward the islands.

Caribbean chefs are putting their stamps on the culinary delights of their islands, garnished with influences from all over the world.

Entertaining outings and team-bonding opportunities are available throughout Washington for groups interested in a fun evening away from the convention center or host hotel. Among the possibilities? Everything from escape rooms and group dining to laser tag, mixology classes and bioluminescent sea kayaking will positively punctuate a day of meetings in the Evergreen State.

Civana, set in the desert town of Carefree, Arizona, is the first sustainable wellness resort in Greater Phoenix/Scottsdale, while 1440 Multiversity is set amid the majestic redwoods of Scotts Valley, California, in Santa Cruz County.

Hawaii is preparing for the worst as it begins seeing the first signs of Hurricane Lane Thursday, August 23, 2018, although reports indicate the storm will likely not have a direct hit on any of the islands. The category 4 storm is moving closer to the Hawaiian Islands with winds of 145 mph, and it is estimated that if the storm doesn’t make landfall, the islands will experience winds of 39 mph to 73 mph and rains of 5 inches to 15 inches.

In recent years the wellness component of a meeting agenda has come to encompass a great deal more than arranging a block of spa appointments for attendees. Nowhere is this more evident than in Hawaii, where approaches to healing and well-being are deeply woven into the fabric of local culture and traditions. At resorts throughout the islands, planners will find wellness-related activities limited only by the imagination.

The ways in which events are becoming sustainable, sometimes to the goal of zero waste, are increasingly innovative and exciting.