Industry News - Chauffeur Driven Magazine

Details: Category: Industry News; Published: 2022, February 28

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) has published its Winter Meetings Outlook, a future-focused quarterly report that identifies new trends and innovations within the meeting and event space. The goal of the publication, according to the association, allows planners to budget and plan accordingly and ensures a strong foundation for building sound strategies that keep businesses on paths to success.

A balancing market reveals signs of positive things to come—such as growing budgets and anticipated live attendance—however, complications such as the shifting desires of humans emerging from various degrees of societal lockdown as well as a lack of qualified staff/applicants in many meeting and hospitality roles continue to challenge industry professionals.

The “great resignation” has also had an impact on the meeting and event industry, with 60 percent of respondents indicating difficulty finding suitable staff—which is more than double the percentage of respondents who said the same last summer.
82 percent of respondents project favorable business conditions over the next year, back up to the level seen in the spring 2021 survey.
More than 50 percent of respondents currently or soon plan on requiring proof of vaccination for staff, contractors, and in-person event participants.
The percentage of respondents anticipating favorable live attendance over the next 12 months is at 75 percent, almost matching the all-time high seen in the summer 2021 survey.

MPI Jessie States MPI Academy Vice President Jessie States

“Following an Omicron-fueled dip in positive projections last quarter, our most recent Meetings Outlook demonstrates positive indicators in a number of areas including increasing optimism in projected in-person attendance and budget," said MPI Academy Vice President Jessie States. “Fewer meeting professionals are expecting increases in digital or virtual attendance (down 41 percent since this time last year). Unpredictability continues to impact the buyer-seller balance in the marketplace. The biggest challenge continues to be employment, with 37.5 percent of organizations reporting that they are hiring full-time staff and 60 percent saying they are having problems filling roles. The implications of this are steep for an industry anticipating recovery—and an MPI focus this year will be helping organizations create and cultivate workplace cultures that attract and retain critical staff.”

Meetings Outlook presents future industry trends and predictions from MPI members. Research is conducted in house using the Qualtrics survey platform. The research is conducted quarterly and provides current business conditions and future outlooks.

Meetings Outlook is developed in partnership with IMEX Group. The full report can be found here.

Visit mpi.org for more information.

[02.28.22]

Details: Category: Industry News; Published: 2022, February 23

We’re a little less than a month away from the 2022 CD/NLA Show and couldn’t be more excited to reunite with our industry friends. We return to the Strip at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino on March 27-30. And you can bet that we have four days of networking, education, and fun planned in a jam-packed schedule. If you haven’t checked out our full itinerary yet, you can view it here.

CD/NLA Show Vegas 2022

In that schedule, you’ll find all the top-notch education, networking opportunities, and various returning favorites that you’ve come to love at the CD/NLA Show, including our First Timers’ Event, Affiliate Central Global Forum, and Women in the Industry Event. But that’s not all... Once again, we’re thrilled that two of the industry’s leading networks have chosen the CD/NLA Show to be the venue for an exclusive get-together. That’s right, EmpireCLS and Music Express have again shown their support of our event by hosting their Affiliate Meetings during the show. These meetings offer a great opportunity for operators to learn from and speak with executives from two of the industry’s major leaders, as well as meet with and celebrate peers who are current partners of the companies. Get the scoop on what you need to join these major networks.

CD/NLA Show Vegas 2022

“We’re looking forward to having our Affiliate Meeting at the CD/NLA Show so we can reconnect with the affiliates we haven’t seen for a long time due to the pandemic. It's also great opportunity for us to meet new network partners. Also, during the meeting, we will present awards to outstanding affiliates for 2021. I am excited about being in Vegas again and we are looking forward to a great show,” says Music Express Affiliate Manager Perry Barin.

“The 2020 CD/NLA Show was the last time we were together with all of our friends in the industry. We all faced something unimaginable shortly after, but the resilience and grit of our industry is simply amazing. There is a lot of excitement going into the 2022 show as it’s a bit symbolic of putting this all behind us. Business is certainly back, and we’re excited to hold our affiliate meeting at the show once again! We look forward to seeing everyone in Las Vegas,” says EmpireCLS Sr. Executive Vice President Joey Phelps.

CD/NLA Show Vegas 2022

Have you booked your room at the Paris Las Vegas yet? The clock is winding down on our exclusive (and amazing) room rate of $159/month. Once the block is filled, this rate will be gone. Given the incredible self-contained convenience of the Paris—all the events of our show are just a few steps away from the elevator—you aren’t going to want to stay anywhere else.

Visit cdnlavegas.com for more information.

[03.01.22]

Details: Category: Industry News; Published: 2022, February 23

limo patriot ride

Limo Patriot Ride

UPDATED 3.8.22 with schedule information.

Calling all bikers—and bikers at heart—who want to ride for a fantastic cause! The Limo Patriot Ride (LPR), a motorcycle caravan of industry friends raising money to help injured veterans, will once again take to the open roads of Valley of Fire Park, a spectacular natural area located about an hour from Las Vegas. The time-honored event, supporting Semper Fi & America's Fund, will take place on Thursday, March 31—the day after the close of the CD/NLA Show (scheduled for March 27-30 at the Paris Hotel Las Vegas). A pre-ride orientation dinner will also be held on Wednesday, March 30, in preparation for the next day’s ride.

The schedule for the March 31 ride is as follows:

8:00 a.m. Paris Hotel (Location TBA)
9:00 a.m. EagleRider Rentals, 5182 S. Arville St. Las Vegas, NV
10:00 a.m. Ride to the Valley of Fire, lunch
3:00 p.m. End of 2022 event, back to EagleRider
7:00 p.m. Dinner and drinks

Limo Patriot Ride

Not a fan of the wind on your face and prefer the comfy cabin of your vehicle? No problem! The convoy invites anyone using their sedan, SUV, or bus (or for a local operator to shuttle volunteers) to follow the group as they drive by the stunning red and tan sandstone formations of the picturesque state park. All are welcome! LPR organizers have also arranged for discounted motorcycle rentals through EagleRider for those who won’t be riding their personal hog to Las Vegas. There is a minimum contribution of $100 to join the procession.

Limo Patriot Ride

LPR’s designated charity, Semper Fi & America's Fund, provides immediate financial assistance and lifetime support to combat wounded, critically ill, and catastrophically injured members of all branches of the US Armed Forces and their families. Semper Fi & America's Fund delivers important resources to those veterans during recovery and transition back to their communities. The Fund is a 501(c)(3) where all donations are tax-deductible, and 100 percent of all contributions go directly to the charity. The Fund, which has a 97.28 score (out of 100) according to Charity Navigator, was established in 2004 and has assisted more than 27,000 veterans over the last two decades.

Limo Patriot Ride