Press Release A new economic impact study of 17 major Canadian events published today shows that Festivals and Major Events Canada’s request for the federal government to establish a program dedicated to the growth of the events industry is more relevant and timely than ever. The KPMG study estimates that a group of 17 events generated a combined $290.8 million in economic benefits (added value at market prices). This calculation is based on $396.4 million in eligible expenditures (operations and tourist). The study estimates…
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Alaska Airlines awarded top ranking in J.D. Power Satisfaction Study
Press Release For the 11th year in a row, Alaska Airlines is proud to be recognized as the highest ranked airline in customer satisfaction among traditional carriers in the J.D. Power 2018 North America Airline Satisfaction Study. “To earn this award for 11 years is a fantastic tribute to our people, especially as we worked to integrate two airlines,” said Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden. “On behalf of the entire leadership team, I would like to thank all 23,400 Alaska and Horizon employees and our…
Choice Hotels honours top franchisees at annual Premier Awards
Press Release Choice Hotels International, Inc., one of the world’s largest hotel companies, recently announced the winners of its Premier Awards at the company’s annual convention in Las Vegas. The elite designations, Premier Hotelier, Premier Legacy and Premier Developer, distinguished three of the company’s top franchisees from 2017: Hospitality Asset Management Company (Premier Hotelier), Magnolia Hospitality Group (Premier Legacy), and Filmore Capital Partners (Premier Developer). “Our Premier Award winners represent the dedication to service and innovation in which Choice Hotels and…
Nestled in Western Honduras, Copán will be the ideal venue for your 2019 events
Press Release With neoclassical architecture, narrow cobblestone streets and its proximity to the Copán Ruinas, the “Athens of the Maya World,” meeting planners should look no further than Copán, Honduras, to host their next event. This picturesque setting in the mountainous western region of the Central American country has everything needed to create an event meeting goers will not soon forget, and to accommodate larger groups, is set to debut a brand new convention centre early next year. Marina Copán hotel…
Growth in agency bookings provides increasing revenue for London’s Barbican
Press Release The Barbican’s business events team has seen agency bookings over the last year increase to 33 per cent, continuing a trend of significant sales growth. While just 1 per cent of bookings were made through agencies in 2015, three years later they provide a third of business sales at the venue. Overall growth in the last year saw Barbican Business Events exceed sales targets by 4 per cent. “We have seen a real benefit from the commitment we…
The case for harvesting data
As the Cambridge Analytica controversy dominated headlines, a number of commentators excitedly speculated that Facebook had been discovered engaging in data manipulation. I expected that they would soon follow with dark hints that the Ford Motor Company was manufacturing automobiles. Seriously? What business did they think Facebook was in? As the controversy unfolded, data analysis was characterized as a digital dark art thatneeded to be regulated and restricted. It was maligned as dishonest, pervasive and intrusive, and with little mention…
MPI and events industry organizations form coalition to stop sexual harassment
Press Release The coalition, comprised of leaders and executives from organizations such as ASAE, AWE, EIC, IAEE, IMEX, JMIC, MPI, PCMA and SITE, has formed behind a single common goal: eradicate sexual harassment within the events industry and in our workplaces. Each of these groups have been addressing sexual harassment prevention separately and determined that this issue requires policies that span beyond the confines of each individual organization. In the wake of the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements, the coalition believes it…
Wow Air introduces its first ever flight to India
Press Release Wow air, Iceland’s only low-fare airline, will soon connect Canadians to the hustling and bustling of colourful Delhi at the lowest price on the market with a new route to India lifting off December 6, 2018. Travellers from Toronto and Montreal will be able to book starting May 15, 2018 with one-way trips from as low as $299 and Wow premium starting at $899 — a premium flight price you won’t find on other airlines. “We are very excited to…
Air Canada adds capacity on transcontinental routes in response to WestJet strike
In response to the strike vote mandate given by WestJet’s pilots, Air Canada yesterday announced it has now added capacity on key transcontinental routes by up-gauging aircraft on certain flights from its primary global hub in Toronto to Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal, Ottawa and Halifax, from Vancouver to Calgary and Edmonton and from Calgary to Montreal. Travellers who may be concerned about the uncertainty resulting from WestJet’s strike vote mandate can book Air Canada with confidence. With our flexible and diverse fleet,…
Building the right team can make – or break – your event
You’ve gone through the request for proposal process, won it (congratulations), and inherited the conference management team. It’s probably made up of the conference chair and organizing committee from the organization – or organizations — that hired you. You’re stuck with this team for better or worse, but the event day team is yours to build from the ground up. You get to recruit and train the event novices and conference pros that will make the big day a success…
