Known for its creative comfort food, waterfront fare and independent restaurants steeped in historic charm, Alexandria, Virginia, just minutes from Washington, D.C., has dozens of new dining spots waiting to be discovered. From authentic Mexican offerings to beer gardens where food is at the forefront, 25 new concepts showcase the city’s evolving and innovative culinary scene. Keep reading, and…
Today’s delegates expect more from meetings. To ensure record-breaking attendance and a memorable experience for attendees, meeting planners must seek locations that bring more to the table than simply ample space and good service. Delegates demand local experiences that venture off property and provide them with a true taste of the destination. Alexandria, Virginia, located…
Are you measuring, communicating and leveraging the economic impact of your meetings and events? Economic impact offers a complete picture of the total revenue generated by your event, from lodging revenue to food and beverage expenditures to state and local tax revenue. Having comprehensive economic impact data is critical to communicate the value of your…
“Bleisure,” if you haven’t heard the term yet, you will soon. The practice of combining business travel and leisure travel into one trip is on the rise. A recent study commissioned by Expedia Group shows that 60% of business trips turn into bleisure, a nearly 40% increase from 2016. So how do you, meeting planner…
Meetings and events can be major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions can stem from transportation, energy use, food choices and materials. Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce emissions and shrink your eventʼs carbon footprint. Follow this simple roadmap to get started: Step 1: Identify the likely emissions resulting from your event. The…
What are VR & AR? Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are commonly known for gaming, says Sophia Moshasha, marketing director for Gates’ Brightline Interactive. But companies like hers have been paving the way for the technology to become a new and exciting way to add experiential elements to meetings and events. “VR and…
Have you ever traveled for work or to a conference and left the city not having seen beyond the meeting room walls? For your next event, consider organizing a corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity. Local volunteer activities are a great way to get attendees immersed in the meeting location, building relationships and making a positive…
Have you heard about the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)? Whether you are a buyer or supplier, you should immediately start asking within your organization how the new GDPR will impact your existing and future travel as well as meetings supplier agreements. The new regulations will affect almost every country in the…
From augmented reality to 3-D printing to wearable devices, new and innovative technologies will continue to have a transformational impact on the events of the near- and mid-future, which is why it’s more important than ever to find strategic ways to weave technology solutions into the fabric of our meetings. But with so many event-based…
In part one of this two-part series we looked at the 2018 meeting industry trends guaranteed to help you design an impressive food and beverage (F&B) program for your next event. Now let’s get the dish from our experts on which fresh new trends will make your program as tasty as it is talk-worthy! Hail…
