CES is the world’s largest technology show, if not the largest trade show across the globe. More than 180,000 industry professionals visited last year’s CES in Las Vegas for the annual unveiling of all the latest tech products, from voice-controlled smart homes to transparent trucks. They toss around fancy words like “futurism” and “pioneering thinkers” to describe world-changing innovations. Did we mention the Sony robot dog?

 

While the show always impresses the average consumer, there is incredible new technology that can change the landscape of how you exhibit at your next show or how you engage your audience at your next event.

Here Are A Few Things To Look Out For:

LG 90-Foot OLED Canyon

Massive screens arranged in concave and convex configurations? Yes, please! New commercial display technology creates eye-popping immersive installations, allowing attendees to walk through the experience of waterfalls, blizzards and more, complete with state-of-the-art audio accompaniment.

 

Square-Shaped Light Panels

Enhance your space with touch-controlled square panels

Nanoleaf is announcing its touch-sensitive surface, which you adjust by simply tapping or sliding your finger across the surface. Not only does it create a beautiful backdrop, the panels work with voice and motion sensors to create an immersive sight and sound explosion for your attendees.

 

Virtual And Augmented Reality (VR & AR) Hardware & Software

These technologies remain cutting-edge even in the consumer space, as the tech is so new that it has yet to find any real foothold in the workplace. However, falling costs and increased processing and graphics muscle built into new headsets may well make this area more compelling in the future.

 

Sony 4K OLED TV

The Mother of all projections screens has arrived. If you are a fan of your own living room projection experience, then Sony has you covered with its new 4K projector.

 

Dell Experience

Dell, CES® 2018 Innovation Award recipient, transformed Yardbird restaurant at the Venetian into a product demo showcase that allowed attendees to take a peek at their latest technologies, test their skills at some incredible games and enter a whole new dimension through amazing VR demos. Guests were also invited to step into Dell Cinema via an augmented reality experience.

 

Bell Air Taxis

Talk about future tech, the Bell Air Taxi is debuting at CES this year, showcasing the evolvement of robotic flights.

 

Source: GES

Visit Plano has promoted two staff members to the positions of SMERF & Government Sales Manager and Convention Services Coordinator.

Visit Plano’s former Convention Services Coordinator Blaire Zahn has been named SMERF (social, military, educational, religious, and fraternal) & Government Sales Manager, and intern Liz Navarette has been promoted to the position of Convention Services Coordinator.

In her new role, Zahn will be responsible for booking SMERF and government conventions, meetings, events and securing hotel room nights in Plano.

Prior to joining Visit Plano in December 2016, Zahn was Tourism Director at the Mineral Wells Convention & Visitors Bureau. She brings a diverse background and numerous talents to Plano. Her extensive experience in the tourism industry also includes positions with The Fairmont Dallas, Banana Azul Hotel, the Carolina Renaissance Festival, Visit Southlake and Sustainable Travel International. Zahn holds a Master of Science in International Sustainable Tourism and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Hospitality Management, both from the University of North Texas.

Navarette will manage all logistics, arrangements, and services for Visit Plano clients once they have been booked in Plano by the Visit Plano sales team. She will also assist meeting planners in coordinating events in each of Visit Plano’s targeted market segments including corporate, association, government, sports, and SMERF (social, military, educational, religious, and fraternal).

Navarette received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and minored in Kinesiology at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. She played on their women’s soccer team for four years and graduated from the Redwine Honors Program. Before interning with Visit Plano, she also completed an administrative and marketing internship with Midwestern’s Athletic Department.

Kimpton Aertson Hotel features more than 8,600 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meetings and events space on its 8th and 17th floors. Music City provides a spectacular backdrop to the spaces on both floors with unobstructed views and F&B menus overseen by James Beard Award-winning chef RJ Cooper, creating an unforgettable experience. All spaces are bright with windows and views of downtown Nashville and direct access to an exclusive outdoor terrace.

Special package:
· Save up to 30% when you only need 6 to 25 rooms, based on availability
· Outdoor rooftop pool, seating area, fire pit and cabanas all located on the 8th floor (where most of the meeting space is located)
· Kimpton-style extras to perk-up your stay

o Hosted wine hour every evening with the GM
o Yoga mats in every room
o Pet-friendly – NO FEES for pets
· Central to famed Nashville live music and other attractions
o Located in Nashville’s Midtown neighborhood, just blocks from Music Row and within walking distance of bars and restaurants
· Complimentary WiFi on all devices

Discover Northern California’s Premier ‘Back to Nature’ Event Facility, a Private 200-acre Property Available for Retreats, Weddings, Festivals, Camps and Creative Events

Under a canopy of centuries old trees, discover a secret hideaway that evokes an idyllic summer camp. Camp Navarro (which operates year round) offers gourmet cuisine, a staff that caters to your every need, and a selection of accommodations—including Teepee Tents, Cabins and Adirondacks, and Campsites—allowing you to be as rustic as you choose while communing with nature in its purest form.

Situated in the lush wine country of Northern California’s Anderson Valley, Camp Navarro comprises over 200 acres of old growth forest nestled along the north fork of the Navarro River. A private camp for more than 100 years, in 2013 it was reborn as a nature retreat and unique event destination. Today, Camp Navarro welcomes groups to enjoy the great outdoors in an unspoiled setting that is not too far removed from civilization and less than a three hour drive from San Francisco.

Owner Dan Braun, an adventure travel guru with more than thirty years of experience in environmental hospitality, explains why he bought the camp, “I was deeply influenced by my fifteen years at a summer camp near Yosemite. Camp Navarro is the dream—a legacy campsite that is blessed with an extraordinary setting in an ancient forest on a river. Guests tell me that sleeping in this expansive yet intimate piece of nature has transformed them forever.”

The campground, which was previously owned by the Boy Scouts, among others, has been upgraded to offer the most complete group camp experience. Everything radiates out from a 10,000 square foot Main Lodge (with a restaurant-quality kitchen that can provide up to 500 dinners at a time). Recent additions to the lodge include a new old growth redwood floor, new bathrooms with hand carved wood sinks, reclaimed redwood railings, a professional sound system and enhanced lighting inside and out. Most immediately noticeable are the new main door to the Lodge and a new massive stairwell, both hand carved by renowned eco-artist Tonu Shane. Other spots for holding events in the camp include an amphitheater and natural gathering places in the redwoods, riverfront meadows and oak-studded grasslands. There is power, Wifi, and event infrastructure throughout the property. Their skilled personnel, including onsite Property Manager Skip Bell, ensure everything runs to perfection.

More than 350 people can sleep in beds, and there are several charming lodging options to pick from, including upscale Teepees and East Coast-style Adirondack cabins that are open to the woods on one side—some of which have been recently converted to four season cabins. Or, fall asleep listening to the river or creek in one of the property’s traditional cabins. Event attendees can also camp on their own within the confines of this redwood Shangri-la, bringing the capacity of the camp up to 1,500 people for larger festivals and events.

Guests will enjoy the woods in comfort, as all beds have upscale memory-foam mattresses and many now have innovative and cozy Rumpl bedding. Meticulous and plentiful restrooms optimize the experience, including 10 new outdoor showers built from repurposed redwood from the property.

On the culinary front, the food is a delightful surprise. Camp Navarro’s Executive Chef and Chef de Cuisine are both veterans of Michelin-starred restaurants. The chefs have fresh produce to work with, supplied by the camp’s new ¼ acre farm that yields vegetables, herbs and flowers. Their 1,800 square foot professional kitchen and catering operation now boasts a large portable BBQ and a convection oven, and outdoors, guest will find a Mugnaini wood-fired pizza oven. When visitors are not picnicking by the river, dining in the Great Hall of the main lodge or barbecuing at their campsite or at one of the many attractive spots around camp, they can drop by the Trading Post Café for a light meal, snack, or cup of artisanal coffee.

No camp would be complete without activities, and Camp Navarro embraces this notion to the fullest. Bonfires, arts and crafts, tug-of-war, volleyball and swimming holes are the expected, but Camp Navarro takes outdoor adventure to the next level. On offer is everything from archery on their private range to yoga and mediation sessions in the most peaceful, earth-connected setting possible, as well as spirit pole carving, outdoor movie screenings, foraging hikes and much more. The Camp Navarro team custom designs the perfect experience for each group, whether the goal is team building or just having a rollicking time. Self-guided hikes through the deep forest, along creeks, and through meadows and grassland are one of the many perks of this magnificent property.

“We have welcomed everything from corporate retreats for the likes of Google and LinkedIn to family-friendly music festivals such as Camp Deep End and Redwood Ramble, and we are the original home of Camp Grounded, the tech free Summer camp that started the Digital Detox movement,” continues Braun. “We also host specialty camps and smaller gatherings, and our weddings are particularly distinctive, given the magical setting and our staff’s attention to detail.”

Minutes from winetasting and close to all that Mendocino County has to offer, including charming boutiques and restaurants, breathtaking beaches and stunning coastline, Camp Navarro’s guests experience California the way it used to be, while their staff’s sensitive stewardship of the land ensures that Camp Navarro will provide that same authentic experience to generations to come.

The rate for a buyout of Camp Navarro differs based upon the time of year. During the low season (December – April), rates run from $5,000 to $20,000+. During the high season (May – November), rates run from $15,000 to $75,000+.

Along the scenic Highway 128 in the heart of Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley Wine Country, the property is a two and a half hour drive from San Francisco and SFO, a three and a half hour drive from Sacramento and SMF airport, and a one and a half hour drive from Santa Rosa and STS airport. There is ample parking for buses, large groups, and trucks, with easy access on and off the highway.

NYC & Company, New York City’s official destination marketing organization, is proud to support the Meetings Mean Business Coalition during its second annual Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) on Thursday, April 6. Tomorrow evening in advance of GMID, several spires across the City’s skyline will shine blue, the color of the Meetings Mean Business Coalition, to send a message about the importance of the meetings industry to New York City. In addition, NYC & Company will host a special NYC Talks panel discussion with its membership on Global Meetings Industry Day.

“NYC & Company recognizes the profound impact that face-to-face meetings have on New York City’s five boroughs every year,” said Fred Dixon, NYC & Company’s president and CEO. “With safety a new top priority for planners, we are looking forward to our GMID panel discussion on meeting and event security, reassuring planners and businesses that New York City remains the country’s safest large city to host a meeting or event.”

Tomorrow, NYC & Company will kick off lighting activations on the eve of Global Meetings Industry Day. The spires of the Empire State Building, Four Times Square and One Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan will be lit blue, along with One World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. This Thursday for Global Meetings Industry Day, NYC & Company will convene its membership for a NYC Talks: Improving Security, Ensuring Success panel at Manhattan Center. In partnership with event security firm T&M Protection Resources, the panel discussion will focus on security strategies and best practices for public and private meetings and events of all sizes.
 
“New York City continues to lead the way in new development that amplifies the delegate experience, from the 1.2 million square-foot Javits Center expansion to an additional 25,000 hotel rooms expected by 2019,” said Jerry Cito, NYC & Company’s Senior Vice President of Convention Development. “As a founding industry supporter of the Meetings Mean Business Coalition, we thank the more than 6 million delegates that choose to Make It NYC each year.”

Additionally, Vornado Realty Trust’s Times Square billboard, the largest digital billboard in the City located on Broadway between 45th and 46th Streets outside the New York Marriott Marquis, will display NYC & Company’s Make It NYC meetings campaign and GMID logos on Thursday. NYC & Company has also provided a social media toolkit to its member base and clients to join the conversation about the meetings industry. To follow and join the conversation about the importance of face-to-face meetings, supporters can use the hashtags #MMBNYC, #GMID17 and #MakeItNYC on Twitter and Instagram.
For more information on planning a meeting or event in New York City, go to nycgo.com/makeitnyc. To learn more about Meetings Mean Business, visitmeetingsmeanbusiness.com.\

Source: NYC & Company