Meetings Today Podcast

With $10 billion in infrastructure investment and new dining, retail and entertainment districts such as OCVIBE, Anaheim, California, has embarked on what it has dubbed the "Golden Decade."Meetings Today caught up with Ronnie Collins, senior vice president of sales for Visit Anaheim, to learn the details, and also about mega events coming to the destination, a major property renovation project and a meetings incentive program named Meetings Momentum.

Phoenix has earned the moniker "Championship Valley" because of its extensive experience in hosting big sporting events like the Super Bowl and basketball championships. Lorne Edwards, chief sales officer, Visit Phoenix and Eric George, special events administrator, City of Phoenix, discuss what goes into the execution of large-scale sporting events and world-class conventions in Phoenix ahead of more major events coming to town.*Created in partnership with Visit Phoenix

Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center DOSM Russ Mitchell talks about the brand's massive new $1.3 billion property near San Diego, which will be the largest hotel on the West Coast.Located in Chula Vista, California, and set for a May 15, 2025 opening, the property will offer a whopping 1,600 rooms and more than 477,000 square feet of meeting space that includes the 47,000-square-foot California Ballroom, the largest in the Golden State.

The threat by the Trump Administration to levy significant tariffs against three of the biggest trading partners of the U.S. became reality March 4, 2025, and the impact on the meeting and events industry is still unfolding.Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson engaged Voices in Advocacy’s Roger Rickard, the leading expert on political advocacy in the meetings industry and beyond, to gauge how the 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, and now 20% on China—and reciprocal actions by those nations—may touch the industry.Will meeting and event costs skyrocket? Will international attendance plummet? Will organizations from those countries take a pass on bringing their events to the U.S.?At the time of recording the impact was far from clear, but Rickard outlines some very real scenarios as well as provides resources for how those in the meetings and events industry can reach out to their political representatives to make sure their voices are heard.

Former Freeman Company CEO Bob Priest-Heck has helmed one the largest events industry companies in the world, collecting a vast reservoir of knowledge on the profession.Now, in tandem with Freeman Board Chair Carrie Freeman Parsons, he's put that knowledge down on paper in their new book Inside Live Events.Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson sat down with Priest-Heck to discuss why the book is such a valuable resource for meeting and event planners, as well as key industry trends and the importance of sharing our knowledge with the next generation of meeting professionals.

Michael Krouse, president and CEO of the Greater Ontario, California CVB, aka GOCAL, and regional vice president convention centers for ASM Global, shares details on a massive expansion project that will double the size of the Ontario Convention Center (including a parking garage that can double as an event venue!) as well as a new entertainment district, Empire Sports Complex and baseball stadium, and an expansion of Ontario International Airport and a downtown improvement project.

In this episode of the Meetings Today podcast, Senior Content Director Danielle LeBreck speaks with Lisa Bethea, director of destination services for Visit Frisco, about how planners can host memorable events in rapidly growing Frisco. Learn how to tap the Destination Services team at Visit Frisco, what new developments are on the horizon and more.

Tyler Davidson checked in with David Peckinpaugh, president and CEO or global MICE giant Maritz, at PCMA's Convening Leaders event in Houston, Texas to discover findings from two major, recent Maritz surveys and what they reveal about the incentive market.

Tyler Davidson sat down with Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, and Mark Tester, executive director of the Orange County Convention Center, to discover what’s new and coming down the pike in what is perennially the most popular meetings and conventions destination in North America.

Eric Zimmerman, CEO of TripZero, is a leader in sustainable event planning, recently named a 2024 Meetings Trendsetter. He discusses his personal journey towards sustainability ignited by a green building conference. The conversation highlights practical strategies for reducing carbon footprints and engaging attendees in eco-friendly practices. Zimmerman emphasizes that sustainable events can actually save costs, debunking the myth that green planning is expensive. He believes events can catalyze a global movement towards sustainability.