Anaheim Convention Center Starts Work on Grand Plaza Expansion

Posted on May 16, 2012 by zduncan

Anaheim Convention CenterThe Anaheim Convention Center is getting a brand new addition and city and local officials gathered to mark the groundbreaking on Tuesday. Known as the Grand Plaza Project, this new expansion will add an all new outdoor meeting and event space to the Center, which is also the largest venue of its kind on the West Coast.

According to Mayor of Anaheim Tom Tait, “The Grand Plaza will be a beautiful new public space in the city of Anaheim, adding to the world-class service and the state-of-the-art amenities that makes the Anaheim Convention Center such a sought after facility. The Grand Plaza will be a tremendous community asset for all to enjoy, and I look forward to making it available to the public in the new year.”

Work has already begun on the project, which is expected to be completed in January 2013. The area itself features a long avenue lined with palm and citrus trees as well as water features and an illuminated “river” of lights running the length of the plaza. The new plaza will be located outside the convention center’s main entrance and will connect to the Hilton Anaheim and Anaheim Marriot hotels.

According to President of the Anaheim Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau Charles Ahlers, the new space will provide planners a spectacular outdoor meeting and gathering environment unlike any other. Alhers also stated, “Orange County’s excellent year-round sunny weather is the perfect backdrop for this space. Here groups can dine al fresco, listen to concerts or attend receptions and exhibitions. The Grand Plaza will enhance our open, campus-like space surrounding the Anaheim Convention Center and the walkability to the adjacent hotels.”

In addition to that, the space will include a new entry monument for the convention center as well as a transit plaza to allow for convenient traffic management. “The Grand Plaza is designed to create a new sense of arrival for guests visiting our resort area, as well as provide us with the flexibility to utilize this attractive outdoor space in a number of ways to accommodate the needs of our clients and local residents,” said Executive Director of Sports and Entertainment for the Anaheim Convention Center Tom Morton.

Source: OC Metro – Anaheim Convention Center breaks ground on new entrance area

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Renovations of the Las Vegas Convention Center to Begin After Long Hiatus

Posted on May 10, 2012 by zduncan

Las Vegas Convention CenterThe Las Vegas Convention Center was prepped and ready for a huge, multi-million dollar renovation until the economy collapsed, putting those plans on hold. However, things have started up again according to the Board of Directors for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

There is a little bit of a difference this time around. The concept that was originally put forth back in 2005 has been altered following the recession. The new plan will focus on renovating the 3.2 million-square-foot building as well as making over the neighborhood surrounding the convention center.

According to Senior Vice President of Operations Terry Jacinsky, “The district concept would feature potential improvements to roadways, sidewalks, streetscapes and iconic architectural elements for traffic and pedestrian corridors leading to the venue.”

In addition to that, Jacinsky stated that over the next six months officials for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority will meet with customers and organizers of the convention center in order to gauge their needs and determine priorities for improving the building. This was the same method used in the 2005 $890 million master plan. There isn’t a price point that has been established just yet though work could start as early as 2014.

This will mark the first renovation for the center in nearly 11 years, which may not seem like a long time to you until you realize that the center used to undergo changes every four years. Jacinsky said that it is important to keep the center “fresh” due to the fact that competitors across the country are trying their hardest to take conventions and trade shows out of Las Vegas and into their own centers.

The Trade Show News Network announced last week that Las Vegas retained its title as the number one trade show destination in the country with a total of 55 out of the top 250 shows occurring in the city. In addition to that, Las Vegas hosted more shows than the second and third place cities combined.

Source: The Chicago Tribune – Stalled overhaul of Las Vegas Convention Center to be restarted

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Top 3 Most Popular US Trade Shows and Convention Cities

Posted on April 25, 2012 by kthompson

Las Vegas Convention Center RentalsThere are several convention centers in the United States that see lots of traffic and host some of the nation’s most popular conventions. But which city’s convention centers are the most popular and which trade shows boast the largest square footage? TSNN’s (Trade Show News Network) Top 250 Trade Shows of 2010 ranks these trade shows as the top 3 in the United States:

  1. International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with an impressive 1,442,000 net square footage.
  2. The Association for Manufacturing Technology Show (AMT) with 1,137,375 net square footage
  3. Pack Expo International/Process Expo/CPP Expo with 1,054,505 net square footage

TSNN also ranks the top cities for conventions, two of which host the trade shows listed above:

  1. Las Vegas, Nevada is the most popular city for conventions and trade shows. It hosts a whopping 24% of the top trade shows. That’s 60 shows out of the top 250!
  2. Orlando, Florida with 10%. That’s 25 of the top 250 shows.
  3. Chicago, Illinois with 22 of the top 250.
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Sharonville Convention Center Kicks Off New Expansion with New Sculpture

Posted on April 21, 2012 by zduncan

Sharonville Convention CenterThe newly expanded Sharonville Convention Center, located in Sharonville, Ohio, has just added something else to the new expansion. “Swirl”, a 14 ft. x 9 ft. x 4 ft. painted steel sculpture created by artist Bruce Olson, is now resting comfortably in front of the Sharonville Convention Center.

The sculpture’s name is in direct reference to the convention center’s new logo. According to Olson, “I wanted to create a piece that was fluid, with a lot of movement.” In addition to Olson, the convention center’s Executive Director Will Greiner is also quite pleased with the addition of the piece.

Olson’s construction of the sculpture was almost as monumental as the sculpture itself. Olson, a 58-year old resident of Anderson Township, began by using rough sketches of the sculpture and then constructed wooden templates and then moved on to actual steel, a process which began back in December. The only part of the project Olson did not do himself was the bending of the 3″ steel pipe into 7 ft. segments.

A minor back injury during construction slowed Olson’s progress and the sculpture itself was too big to fit in Olson’s studio in its entirety. Olson has worked 10 to 15 hours a day for the last two months to finish “Swirl,” and when the finished product was complete at the convention center, it was the first time that the artist saw it completely assembled.

“Swirl” is the first large sculpture Olson has completed in years. Olson himself is the founding director of the Riverspan Regional Arts Alliance and he has devoted a lot of his time and energy to Riverspan, which is an exhibition and sale of national and international sculptures.

The Riverspan Regional Arts Alliance opened back in 2008 on the “Purple People Bridge” across the Ohio River. The bridge connects Cincinnati and Newport (KY) The art show returned in 2009 and but was canceled in 2010. Olson is working on reviving Riverspan this October.

Source: Cincinnati.com – Convention center welcomes ‘Swirl’ sculpture

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Morgan Spurlock Unveils the Inner Workings of Comic-Con in New Documentary

Posted on April 9, 2012 by zduncan

Comic-Con Episode IV A Fan's HopeComic-Con is every nerd’s dream vacation. It’s like a pilgrimmage to Mecca, a journey to the Holy Land, a trip to a galaxy far, far away! Whether you like comic books, video games, movies, toys, collectibles or just running around playing super-nerd dress up with a bunch of like-minded people, Comic-Con is the place that everybody can live out (mostly) their ultimate fantasies.

Sadly, Comic-Con isn’t as easily accessible for some people (like me) as it is for others. Luckily, for those of us who can’t go, we have Morgan Spurlock. Many of you may remember Spurlock from his documentaries “Super Size Me” and “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold”, but his newest film delves into the wonders of Comic-Con, getting a first-hand look at what it’s like inside the world’s biggest pop culture convention.

The documentary takes a look around the 4-day event, focusing on the real people who attend. Spurlock interviews some of the most famous Comic-Con veterans, including Kevin Smith, Joss Whedon, Frank Miller, Seth Rogen, Eli Roth and the legendary Stan Lee.

The perspective of the film focuses on five different Comic-Con attendees in hopes of showing people the real side of the event as opposed to Hollywood’s press coverage. The five different people include a fanboy aiming to propose to his fiancee but without enough time away from her to get a ring, an artist looking to immerse himself in a career of making the things he loves the most, comic books, another artist that has the opposite mindset, and a costume designer trying to showcase her work in hopes of being recognized by some of the industry’s professionals.

If ever there was a way to live the Comic-Con experience without actually going, Spurlock’s film is it. It is a film made by a fan for the fans, taking you deeper into the event than ever before. “Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope” opened in theaters this past weekend and is also available on VOD.

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The Military Healthcare Convention and Conference

Posted on March 29, 2012 by zduncan

Military Healthcare Convention and ConferenceThe Institute for Defense and Government Advancement (IDGA) has just announced the Military Healthcare Convention and Conference set to take place at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas from May 21st through the 24th.

Our service men and women face innumerable challenges when they return home from a tour of duty serving our country. Sometimes these challenges amount to simple financial problems, though other times they can be more severe, like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). These problems put the cares of these individuals in the spotlight, helping them get the care they need.

The Military Healthcare Convention and Conference was designed to highlight the problems faced by these brave men and women and work on ways to help these people get the care they need and deserve. Attendees for the event will include some top military and medical personnel in the military healthcare field, including:

Commanding General of AR-MEDCOM Major General Robert Kasulke, Deputy Joint Staff Surgeon Brigadier General Paul S. Dwan, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs/CEO of Casscells & Associates The Honorable Ward Casscells, Air Force Instructor Pilot and Founder of Yoga Warriors Major Jon Greuel, Surgeon at the US Army Burn Center Colonel Lee Cancio, Deputy Commander at Brook Army Medical Center Colonel Noel Cardenas, Director of Medevac Prominence and Aviation Consultant to the Army Surgeon General Colonel Robert D. Mitchell and Deputy Commander at the District of Columbia National Guard/Medical Detachment Colonel Harry P. Marshall Jr.

In addition to all the guest speakers the event will also feature pre and post conference workshop days. These days will focus on both PTSD and TBI as well as the expansion of Telehealth and technological developments and advancements in the healthcare industry. This should prove to be an exciting event for all those involved as well as one that helps support some of the bravest men and women in our country who deserve nothing less.

Source: Market Watch – Military Healthcare Convention and Conference

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Utah Valley Convention Center Allowed to Sell Beer

Posted on March 7, 2012 by zduncan

Utah Valley Convention CenterIt has recently been confirmed that when it opens later this year in May, the Utah Valley Convention Center will allow beer to be served. The Provo Municipal Council approved, in a unanimous vote, the creation of a new class of beer license on Tuesday that will cover public events at the Center Street convention center.

The city previously had classes of licenses for stores, restaurants, bars and wholesalers. The convention center itself didn’t fit into any of these categories, according to the city’s Chief Administrator Wayne Parker. Parker also added that the city looked to Salt Lake City, Ogden, St. George and other communities in Utah with convention centers to see how they handled things.

This new ordinance will cover the convention center and public sports arenas, as well as private sports arenas that seat over 5,000 people. Under the new license, beer may be sold in unmarked containers and must also be consumed on the premises.

However, not everybody is on board with this decision. Resident Glenn Thurston objects to the license saying that it gives the convention center special privileges. Thurston says that the conference center at the Provo Marriott, right next to the convention center, would not be allowed to serve beer outside restaurants or private rooms. “This ordinance favors a publicly owned facility over a private business,” Thurston said.

In addition to that, Thurston disagreed with not serving beer in its original container. Thurston argued that this action would make it difficult to know if minors were drinking alcohol. General Manager of the Convention Center Danny Wheeler said that the practice at convention centers he has worked at is to serve beer in clear or yellow containers, making it easy to spot someone who is drinking illegally.

The ordinance also makes full background checks optional for people selling beer at stores and restaurants. Parker added that the names would still be checked against a state database of people who violated alcohol laws, but eliminating the mandatory criminal background check will save the police department $150,000 per year.

Source: The Salt Lake Tribune – Provo OKs beer sales at Utah Valley Convention Center

Power Point Projectors
Most business class projectors will do a good job displaying your PowerPoint presentation. If you have a small presentation group, a 2000 lumen LCD projector will be able to produce a nice and clear picture. For larger audiences you should consider a 5000 lumen LCD projector.
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PAX East Makes Boston Its Home Until 2023

Posted on February 15, 2012 by zduncan

PAX EastPAX East, which is the Eastern convention for PAX, the Penny Arcade Expo, is quickly becoming one of the biggest gaming conventions in the country, with popularity, unveils, developers, and other gaming goodness that puts it almost on level with gaming conventions like E3, Blizzcon and the Tokyo Game Show. The convention attracted over 60,000 visitors when it opened its doors in Boston for the 2011 show, the second show ever for PAX East.

This was obviously good news for the city of Boston, which profited greatly from all the tourism and business that the convention brought. And it seems that the good news for Boston will continue for a while as it has just been announced that PAX East plans on staying in Boston until at least 2023, according to a statement from the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCAA).

In a statement from Executive Director of the MCAA James E. Rooney, “We’re thrilled to host PAX East for at least 10 more years. Hosting an event for the next decade that draws gamers from around the globe to Boston is fantastic, but the international attention it brings to the incredible advancements coming out of the Commonwealth is a win-win.”

Developers of PAX Jerry Olkins and Mike Krahulik are hoping that the show will only grow from here, eventually hitting around 100,000 attendees and becoming one of the biggest gaming conventions in the world. The original PAX was started back in 2004 and when PAX East made its debut in Boston in 2010, over 52,000 people attended, far more than the Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center could handle. The 2011 show was moved to a much larger venue, the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, the same location where the 2012 show will take place. PAX East 2012 will take place from April 6th through April 8th.

Source: The Boston Globe – PAX East gaming convention to stay in Boston until 2023

Short-throw projectors only require half the projection distance of traditional projectors. The projector can be placed just a foot or so from the screen. This is nice because it keeps the projector and screen near each other instead of having a long throw projector that people can accidentally block.
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2012 BIO International Convention

Posted on January 26, 2012 by zduncan

BIO International Convention

The 2012 BIO International Convention is set to host 125 sessions and speakers addressing the current state of the global economy as well as emerging trends and best practices for biotech companies. The event will be hosted by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and will take place from June 18 until June 21, 2012 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

According to a statement from BIO Program Committee Co-Chair and Founding Director, Massachusetts Tech Transfer Center Dr. Abigail Barrow, “There is truly something for everyone at the BIO International Convention – whether this is your first BIO or your 10th. The programming consistently spotlights the most pressing issues in the biotech industry while hearing from leading industry experts.”

The BIO International Convention Program Committee also recently elected 125 thought-provoking and timely sessions among 13 educational tracks. The 2012 sessions will host top thought leaders to address those in attendance about top industry concerns. The tracks include: Achieving Regulatory Approval and Compliance, Biofuels and Biobased Chemicals, Biotech Patenting and Tech Transfer, Business Development, Drug Discovery and Development, Finance, Food and Agriculture, Global Innovation and Markets, Health Policy and Reimbursement, Innovations in Vaccines, International Case Studies, Manufacturing of Biologics and Drugs and Personalized Medicine and Diagnostics.

Opening day of the event will include a whole host of activities like Biotechnology Entrepreneurship Boot Camp, Product Delivery Workshop (Understanding the Path to Commercialization), a Leadership Summit, Biotech Primer (Understanding Biotech in the News), Transitional Research Forum, Diversity Summit, BIO Care Fair and One-on-One Partnering.

For BIO to be able to provide the timeliest session topics possible, the group is offering a late-breaking breakout session slot in most tracks. Proposals for the late-breaking sessions will be accepted from February 20th until March 5th, 2012, with late-breaking applicants able to apply at convention.bio.org.

Source: Market Watch – 2012 BIO International Convention to Highlight Insights from Senior Biotech Executives on Latest Trends, Emerging Policy, and Business Development Issues

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CES 2012 to Offer a Plethora of Green Technology

Posted on January 4, 2012 by zduncan

Nest thermostatCES 2012 is definitely set to be one of the biggest shows in the convention’s history, with tons of new tech littering the show floor from end to end. While there will definitely be an onslaught of mobile and portable devices on hand, many people are eager to see what CES 2012 will have in terms of green technology, especially new technology honored at the CES Innovations Awards.

Once such product is the Nest, an innovative thermostat that has been designed to help homeowners save a lot of money and energy. It has been reported that the Nest thermostat saves an estimated $360 per year on your energy bill, something many people are going to look twice at.

The Nest learns your habits with the device’s auto-away feature and energy history features. Auto-Away turns down your heating and cooling temperatures when you are not at home allowing you to save energy. The energy history feature shows you just how much energy you have used on a daily basis, allowing you to adjust accordingly.

Another green product set to grace CES 2012 is the ecoATM. The ecoATM is the first self-serve eCycling kiosk that distributes cash or store credit on the spot for your used electronics or cell phones. The ecoATM is one of the most convenient exchange systems for consumers with old electronics and is sure to be a big hit at CES 2012.

Finally, we have the world’s first solar-powered notebook computer from Samsung. The computer is almost entirely powered by solar energy via a solar panel built in, which allows the device to generate one hour of use for every two hours of exposure to sunlight.

Samsung’s solar-powered notebook is, undoubtedly, the first of its kind and also comes with a 1.6 GHz N570 Intel Atom dual-core processor, 250GB of storage and 1GB of RAM. It is also very portable, with thin measurements and only weighing three pounds.

If you want to see all of these devices in person, you are going to have to check out the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) which will be taking place January 10 to January 13, 2012 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Source: CES Blog – Green Tech at CES


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