Puerto Rico’s newly established destination marketing organization has been officially dubbed Discover Puerto Rico.

Established July 1, the new DMO will be responsible for all global marketing, sales and promotion of Puerto Rico as a premier destination for leisure and business travelers. 

On July 16, Caesars Entertainment Corporation broke ground on its newest development: the CAESARS FORUM Las Vegas conference center. Slated to open in 2020, the venue will feature 550,000 square feet of flexible meeting, event and convention space.

Atlanta, Georgia’s Cobb Galleria Centre recently completed a major renovation of one of its event spaces, the Gallery.

The Cobb Galleria Centre is located in the 88-acre Galleria complex in northwest Atlanta. Cobb Galleria Centre is offers 320,000 square feet of event space, four exhibition halls, 20 meeting rooms, four executive boardrooms and a grand ballroom.

Marriott International has purchased the 1,000-room Sheraton Grand Phoenix hotel for $255 million. The property is slated for a significant renovation designed to transform it into a model for the revamped Sheraton brand. Marriott acquired Sheraton as part of the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide purchase in Sept. 2016.

In early June, Marriott International revealed its comprehensive transformation strategy for the Sheraton brand, building a 4,200 square foot vignette at the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference in New York.

I attended Meeting Professionals International (MPI)’s 2018 World Education Congress (WEC) last month in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was my first time in both the state and the city, and I was favorably impressed by the location, the conference and the local destination management organization (DMO), Visit Indy.

The Kimpton brand has expanded its footprint to Toronto.  The 14-story contemporary Kimpton Saint George hotel opened its doors on Jun. 19.  The new property features 188 guest rooms, including 20 suites and a Presidential Suite.

"We are thrilled to bring our uniquely personal and authentic boutique hotel experience to Toronto,” said Bertrand Mangeot, general manager of Kimpton Saint George.

Rosen Hotels & Resorts in Orlando has rebranded the Red Roof Inn at International Drive hotel. The newly refurbished 134-room hotel is now known as Midpointe Hotel Orlando Convention Center.

Rosen acquired the former Red Roof Inn, along with the 222-room Clarion Inn & Suites at International Drive, in late 2017.

Oklahoma City is gearing up to welcome a brand new convention center. On June 15, officials from the Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau (OKC CVB), local civic leaders and other dignitaries gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking for the $288 million Oklahoma City Convention Center, which will open debt-free in 2020.

“This is a great day for Oklahoma City,” said Mike Carrier, OKC CVB president. “This totally new convention center marks a significant milestone in OKC’s commitment to the meetings and convention industry.”

The Palm Springs Convention Center has launched the Concept3D interactive 3D map and virtual tour platform, designed to bring the Southern California desert facility into the digital world while serving as a helpful and immersive resource for meeting and event planners. 

Situated in Southern Kentucky’s Cave Country and only an hour north of Nashville, Bowling Green, Kentucky is an interesting off-the-beaten-path option for your next small or mid-sized meeting or corporate retreat.

Bowling Green’s Sloan Convention Center offers 60,000 square feet of meeting and pre-function space. Its 19,500 sq. ft. grand ballroom, which can be divided into four sections, has a reception capacity of 1,500 attendees. There are also six breakout rooms ranging from 350 to 2,600 sq. ft.