Rosewood Miramar Beach opened its doors in Santa Barbara's Montecito community. The oceanfront resort offers guest accommodations that open out right onto the beach. Formerly Miramar by the Sea, the property serves as a gathering place for locals and visitors alike.

Canopy by Hilton Minneapolis Mill District opened with 183 guest rooms in collaboration with Sherman Associates and DLR Group. The property is the first in the city for the brand and located in East Town, a large mixed-use development that includes residential and retail components.

While Cvent is the leading industry data and RFP platform for planners and suppliers, it is also a major producer of meetings. According to Rachel Andrews, director of meetings and events at Cvent, planning for the event tech giant is a source of constant change, whether stitching together its annual Cvent CONNECT conference, integrating staffs and resources after one of its many acquisitions or any number of other internal or client events.

Organized by the Hilton San Francisco Union Square Community Projects Manager Jo Licata, and Parc 55-A Hilton Hotel, the three-day immersion indeed found our group enjoying the amenities of both of these top-notch, popular convention hotels, but by venturing outside of their front doors we discovered the soul of a neighborhood and the unceasing dedication of the hotels and community leaders to improve the lives of its residents.

The Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, home to America's largest indoor waterpark, just got bigger. The resort's freshly expanded convention center, which includes an additional 112,000 square feet of meeting space, will open in September 2019. Tifani Jones, Kalahari Resort's corporate sales director, shares how this expansion will positively affect future events.

Southwest Airlines will soon begin low-cost service to Hawaii from California March 17, 2019, after receiving FAA approval to operate long overwater flights.

Marriott International opened its first newly built property that combines three brands under one roof. The 21-story, $140 million Nashville property includes an AC Hotel, Residence Inn and SpringHill Suites. The property was developed by North Point Hospitality and is located across from the Music City Convention Center.

Radisson Medan opened in Indonesia. The hotel features 215 guest rooms and 16,150 square feet of meeting and event space. The property is located on Jalan H. Adam Malik in downtown Medan, surrounded by corporate offices and retail malls. A majority of the guest rooms and suites feature views of Medan's skyline. Guests staying in the hotel’s 32 suites have access to the Executive Lounge.

When I look deep into it, I wonder how artists are inspired with every stroke, line, sketch or color. With that in mind, let me introduce you to an amazing events artist, Jeremy Sutton, iPad Painter—a Smithsonian-featured iPad artist.