Westgate Resorts acquired the former Hilton New York Grand Central and the hotel has been rebranded as Westgate New York City. The 23-floor, 300-room, two-tower property is located in the historic Tudor City neighborhood within the heart of Midtown Manhattan’s East Side.

Tragedy struck during the NeoCon 50 tradeshow after Jacqueline E. Albertine, 57, fell from a swing installed in the David Edward showroom on the 3rd floor of Chicago’s Merchandise Mart. She died on Tuesday, June 12, 2018. The NeoCon example shows that it is critical for meeting and event planners to exercise the proper duty of care to mitigate accidents and reduce organizational liability if the unforeseen happens.

The Oxford Hotel, a historic property in the heart of Denver’s LoDo district, completed a major renovation. The refresh included updating the hotel’s lobby and 80 guest rooms with a lighter and brighter overall design, featuring fresh white and gray tones complimented by pops of vibrant blue and rich emerald green.

Mohegan Sun celebrated the grand opening of the Earth Expo & Convention Center, the property’s $80 million-dollar expansion. The state-of-the-art facility is already making a name for itself as it makes the property home to one of the largest exposition sites in the Northeast, with over 275,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space.

Autograph Collection Hotels unveiled The Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, its fourth location in Canada. The Alberta property is at the foothills of the Canadian Rockies and features 247 guest rooms, suites and lofts, many of which offer views of the mountains.

Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara reopened following a nearly five-month closure caused by the California mudslides. The resort, which sits on 22 oceanfront acres, was restored, including work to the landscaping, some back-of-house areas and guest rooms.

Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), announced he is planning to retire during an authority board meeting, according to a story published in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The newspaper previously ran a report highlighting the mishandling of authority funds, including gift cards, and noted that Ralenkotter used $16,207 for personal travel.

Conference attendees are always looking for opportunities to break out of the boardroom and immerse themselves in the local culture. These Calgary festivals will inspire, invigorate and awe your conference attendees.

We are living in a time of unprecedented technology change. How will these changes affect meetings and tradeshows? Will they remain a central form of education, networking and marketing? Will virtual meetings and other communication technologies replace the need for face-to-face events and exhibitions? Although there will likely be very significant changes in these next few years, there are some strong drivers that bode well for the future of events. Here are five constants that will keep meetings viable in the future.

Tradeshow season does more than send you home with great ideas for your next meeting or event; there’s also all of that booth swag—a seemingly endless array of trinkets and gadgets. While that tote or T-shirt felt like a must-have at the show, it often ends up forgotten in your closet or cluttering up your office. Even if you plan on using the items, consider this—what did you do with all of last year’s swag? Chances are if you didn’t keep and use it then, it’s now this year’s garbage. Why not repurpose it?