Reno-based Eldorado Resorts and Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment are about to make history. On June 24, 2019, the companies announced they had entered into a definitive merger agreement that will result in the creation of the largest U.S. casino operator. Under the transaction, Eldorado will acquire Caesars for approximately $17.3 billion, including the assumption of outstanding debt.

With $5 billion in developments across Milwaukee, the city’s neighborhoods are dramatically transforming. One neighborhood seeing a resurgence is Westown, which has become the entertainment, sports and convention hub or the city before, during and after events.

The one-year anniversary of the launch of the Discover Puerto Rico destination marketing organization is July 1, 2019, and there’s nothing but optimism in the air. Puerto Rico is flourishing again with new and renewed resorts—and business is booming.

MPI World Education Congress (WEC) 2019, held June 15-18, in Toronto, recorded the largest attendance numbers for the conference in the past 10 years, according to the association. The association also said it is upping its efforts at combatting human trafficking and sexual discrimination.

Michael Dominguez is leaving MGM Resorts International to assume the role of CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) starting July 8, 2019.

New Jersey will be the first state in the U.S. to require hotels to provide panic buttons for workers. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill June 11, 2019, that will require hotels with 100 guest rooms or more to equip hotel workers with wearable panic buttons, or employee safety devices (ESD), which can be pressed to get help in an emergency.

IACC released its 2019 Meeting Room of the Future global trends report at MPI’s World Education Congress (WEC) in Toronto, Canada. Find out how young influencers and technological evolution continue to push the industry forward.

The Hotel Zags Portland, previously Hotel Modera, opened in downtown Portland. The 174-room hotel underwent a full renovation, transformation and rebranding. The property is now the sixth “Z Hotel” in the “Unofficial Z Collection,” the company’s individually curated portfolio of urban lifestyle hotels, and the first Z Hotel located outside of San Francisco.

Meetings industry technology giant Cvent acquired mobile event app company DoubleDutch in the latest of a trio of major acquisitions that seeks expand the SaaS company’s mobile software platform.