Getting down to Business: The New Landscape of Hosted Buyer Programs
The May cover of MPI’s member magazine, One+, highlights the feature story titled, “Hosted Buyer is Here to Stay.” The story focuses on the idea that hosted buyer-type programs seem to be transforming America’s meeting landscape much as they have done for the previous two decades in Europe. For those venue professionals unfamiliar with the term – a hosted buyer program allows vendors and buyers to set a series of short pre-arranged meetings to do targeted business during an annual conference or trade show. Continue Reading →
Top That! New Minnesota Vikings’ Stadium to Have World’s Biggest Transparent Roof
First the Minnesota Vikings played their home games at the dearly departed old Metropolitan Stadium. Then along came the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, which fully took the team inside and out of the winter elements. Now on the horizon for the team’s new stadium is the largest transparent roof in the world designed to overcome climate challenges while providing an outdoor feel.
The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA), the Minnesota Vikings and HKS Sports & Entertainment Group have together unveiled the design of the State’s new multipurpose stadium. The design package will now be submitted to the Minneapolis Stadium Implementation Committee and the City of Minneapolis for review.
2013 Hurricane Preparedness Week to Kick Off May 26
Even as a spate of recent devastating tornadoes have demolished communities and taken lives, FEMA’s Private Sector Division reminds that the 2013 hurricane season officially begins June 1 and extends through November 30. In anticipation, FEMA will be launching Hurricane Preparedness Week on May 26 continuing through June 1.
To help increase awareness of this week and beyond, FEMA encourages citizens to take the Pledge to Prepare. The Pledge identifies the critical elements of readiness by educating those in hurricane prone areas to know their risk, take appropriate actions to prepare, and inspire others to do the same. An informed and motivated public will greatly add to the organization’s ability to respond and recover from the potential devastating effects of a tropical storm or hurricane. Awareness can save lives and minimize property damage.
Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara to Host Super Bowl L
The ink had barely dried on the press release announcement that the naming rights to the new stadium in Santa Clara, California, that will become the home of the San Francisco 49ers beginning in 2014 were awarded to apparel company Levi Strauss than the National Football League quickly piggy-backed with its announcement that the stadium would host Super Bowl L (or 50, for those more into numerals than the Greek alphabet) on February 7, 2016. Build it and they will come, indeed!
Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce and Convention-Visitors Bureau President & CEO Steve Van Dorn remarked that, “There is no better place than this brand new stadium to host the NFL’s historic Super Bowl L. Attendees are really going to enjoy the California sunshine and beautiful San Francisco Bay Area region. We expect a huge surge in hotel occupancy for the entire region for the week the Super Bowl is here. Overall, the economic impact will be in the millions.”
Oklahoma City’s Cox Convention Center Prepares for Emotional Graduations on Saturday
High school graduation is a time for celebration, but for the three graduating classes of 2013 in the Moore (Oklahoma) Public
Schools, this Saturday’s ceremonies will be raw with emotion as the city south of Oklahoma City copes in the aftermath of the Monday, May 20 EF5 tornado that claimed the lives of 24 and injured hundreds.
The graduations for Moore, Westmoore and Southmoore high schools will take place as planned on May 25 at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City in what will surely be a challenging day in many respects.