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Hybrid City Alliance Grows to Include Another Canadian Destination
2021/04/05

A second Canadian city has joined the Hybrid City Alliance, a global coalition of destinations working to organize safe in-person and virtual events. Edmonton is one of eight new members. Others include Antwerp, Belgium; Cannes, France; Durban, South Africa; Seoul, South Korea; Sydney, Australia; and Lausanne-Montreux and Zurich, Switzerland. They join co-founders The Hague; Geneva; the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague; and Ottawa, expanding the alliance’s reach to now include destinations across five continents. “(We are) proud to be…
Homegrown Event Production Company Turns Eye to U.S.
2021/04/05

Production Canada has expanded into the U.S. with the launch of the Production Agency. “We’re extremely excited to service our American-based clients and look for new avenues for growth, and to continue our mission to produce the best and most respected events in North America,” says Todd Skinner, owner of the Production Agency. Production Canada helps clients manifest their event vision into experiences with impact. The award-winning production company blends set construction with full-service event production and what it calls…
Nearly Two-Thirds of Businesses Most Impacted by COVID will not Survive
2021/04/05

Sixty per cent of Canada’s hardest hit businesses will not survive to the end of the year if the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) supports are not renewed beyond their June 5 deadline. This is according to a March survey released by the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses, an industry-driven group of more than 100 stakeholders representing a variety of sectors, including tourism, travel, arts and culture, events and festivals, accommodation and hospitality. “Our…
Destination Management Company Expands as Vaccinations Rise
2021/03/22

Hosts Global has debuted a new collection of global destination management companies (DMCs), adding 70 to its portfolio. “Groups are excited to gather again and we’re ready with new places, new members and new possibilities,” says Marty MacKay, Hosts Global’s president of alliance events and operations. With the increase in vaccinations and travel destinations continuing to reopen, meeting and event planners are penciling in group events again. The announcement marks the first of Hosts’ new developments to meet this resurgence. From the start of the pandemic, the company…
MMBC to Host Free Canada-Wide Event
2021/03/22

Meetings Mean Business Canada (MMBC) will host a free virtual event on April 8, in support of Global Meetings Industry Day. Geared to government decision-makers, media and industry professionals, the theme of the 90-minute webinar is ‘We’re Ready.’ It will emphasize the industry’s readiness to reopen the travel, meetings and business events economy when restrictions are lifted. The event will feature industry leaders from across the country, including Destination Canada, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, Convention Centres of Canada,…
IAEE Partners with Fern on Education Series
2021/03/22

The International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) has partnered with services contractor Fern to offer a premiere chapter education series that enables industry-leading content to be provided at a local level. “It is important to us to provide the best and most pertinent education programming to our members, especially as our industry strives to recover from the challenges faced in the past year,” says IAEE vice-president of learning experiences, Marsha Flanagan. “In the five years the chapter education series…
Hyatt to Use Mobile Health App for Meetings, Events
2021/03/22

Hyatt Hotels Corp. plans to incorporate a digital health passport into its events programs. “Since the onset of the pandemic, we have believed accessibility to testing and resources would play a critical role in the travel industry’s recovery,” says Hyatt senior vice-president of global operations, Frank Lavey. The hospitality company announced it would use the VeriFLY + Stay app on March 9. The mobile app provides real-time verification of COVID-19 credentials and travel guidelines. It is currently employed by American…
Study to Evaluate Events Industry Losses Spurred by Pandemic
2021/03/22

The Events Industry Council (EIC) has launched a new study that will examine the events industry’s impact on the global economy and, for the first time, quantify the cumulative losses experienced in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “This study will provide critical data,” says EIC CEO, Amy Calvert. “Understanding those important points will help with advocacy efforts as we navigate towards the recovery.” The high-profile project will cover the full economic impact of events, using 2019 as a watermark,…
Marriott Promotes Longtime Execs to President, CEO
2021/03/22

Marriott International has a new president and CEO in Stephanie Linnartz and Tony Capuano, respectively. The two veteran Marriott executives had been sharing responsibility for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company’s business units and corporate functions since early February, when former president and CEO Arne Sorensen stepped back from full-time management to focus on his health. Sorenson passed away shortly thereafter on Feb. 15, after an almost two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. “Tony has played a critical role in…
Toronto Pearson takes Top Honours for Best Airport, Hygiene
2021/03/08

For the fourth year in a row, Toronto Pearson has been named the best large airport in North America. The win comes as part of Airports Council International (ACI) World’s Airport Service Quality (ASQ) program, which recognizes airports across the globe that deliver the best customer experience in the opinion of their own passengers. New this year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic is a survey category on airport hygiene. As chosen by passengers, Pearson has also received the…

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