Meeting planners can and should be on the front lines of combatting child trafficking.

Tracy Stuckrath of thrive meetings&events describes the need for safe and inclusive F&B options at meetings and some tips for how to achieve this  goal so all attendees are welcome.

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. 

Aerialists hung from the rafters pouring Champagne. Electronic violinists meandered through the crowd on stilts. Benjamin Franklin looked on from his elevated perch inside the museum that bears his name. This was no average cocktail party. It was the opening event for the 2017 RIMS Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia. These ideas were born nearly a year prior as the Philadelphia CVB assisted RIMS in hosting its INsite Tour, a two-and-half-day-long scouting trip for RIMS meeting planners and their major exhibitors.

With a recent surge of growth, the cities of Southwest Michigan are ready to host more groups and events. New-builds and property restorations are drawing locals and visitors alike back to the downtown neighborhoods. Recently opened hotels have added to room counts, with more properties expected to debut later this year and early next, and convention center and venue projects are adding even more meeting square footage to this region.

Some might say Savannah is about as deep as you can go in the Deep South. But groups can go even deeper by visiting the neighborhoods in and around the city, discovering culture, nature and history while gaining a deeper appreciation for this seaside haven that is not only the state’s oldest city but one of its most photogenic.

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.

Late founder Bill Kimpton, who held heartfelt compassion for his guests, would be proud. Holding a commanding position in D.C., its top market for nearly two decades, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants offers some 55,000 square feet of combined space in 11 Capital Region properties, including flagship Hotel Topaz (2001) in D.C. and Lorien Hotel & Spa in Old Town Alexandria.