You have to keep your eyes on the ground while walking through the halls of California’s San Mateo Events Center during the Maker Faire. There are robots down there. You look up at the towering Godzilla woven entirely from wool and then you’re almost tripped up by a small moving platform trimmed with aqua blue lights. The platform scoots around the floor, weaving in and out of peoples’ footfalls

John H. Richardson, general manager of 320 Guest Ranch near Big Sky, Montana, lives and breathes the hotel life, with a father that worked for Sage Hospitality, Marriott and Ritz-Carlton. “When I tell people I’ve moved around a lot they ask if my dad was in the military and I say, ‘No, he was in the hotel business,” he quipped.

The accolades are building. Dubbed by Thrillist earlier this year as “One of the Coolest Cities in America that Doesn’t Even Know It Yet” and “The best surprise in the Midwest,” by ESPN writer Myron Medcalf, Wichita, Kansas, is making its presence known.

California’s Santa Clara CVB had its funding suspended for 60 days by the City of Santa Clara until a new management company can be found. Employee salaries and benefits will be paid during the 60 days.

The southwest region of Missouri has a secret: its three main towns, Springfield, Joplin and Branson, have a rich and diverse mix of art and entertainment venues. History takes the main stage in Springfield and Joplin with outlaws and Route 66, while Branson goes beyond its well-known country shows with venues dedicated to jazz, swing, classical and more.

"Talent wins games,” once said all-time basketball great Michael Jordan, whose three seasons at the University of North Carolina included making the winning jump shot as a freshman in the 1982 national championship game, “but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” Visit North Carolina, contracted by the North Carolina Department of Commerce to lead tourism development as a business unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, embraces this wisdom in its industry-specific marketing programs, sports included.

Teneo Hospitality Group identified the top concerns and trends within the meetings industry so far in 2018, according to its recent poll of planners in the U.S. The results presented by Teneo identify budgets, quality control, cost and reliability of audiovisual and technical services, security of content and the challenges of meeting increasingly complex dietary demands as the most prominent concerns of planners.

Joint venture partners the Bernstein Companies and Boston Properties broke ground on the new Marriott International headquarters complex and adjacent Marriott hotel in downtown Bethesda, Maryland.

With its bounty of eclectic chefs, ethnic diversity and locally sourced ingredients, combined with a culture of wellness and reinvention, Los Angeles County has evolved into one of the world’s most dynamic culinary destinations. L.A.’s Westside and beach cities are prime places for groups to experience the delectable treats of the region.

Jill Delaney joined the Discover Albany team as the new president and CEO. Delaney says her priorities will be attracting new groups to Albany’s new Capital Complex, and growing Albany’s profile as a leisure travel destination.