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As many parts of the world continue to battle coronavirus outbreaks, some leaders have paused the reopening process and announced new constraints on travel and gatherings. At the same time, other countries are easing their restrictions. Here's a roundup of what's happening around the globe.

Global association of the exhibition industry, UFI has released a new report on the status of sustainability in the exhibition industry, including results from surveys conducted by UFI research partner Explori.

Disrupt the V Awards is a competition launched by micebook during a time of uncertainty amongst many graduates and event industry new hires. The aim was to create an exciting opportunity for event graduates and newcomers to showcase their creative skills and get recognition in a room full of big agency brands and companies.

As organizations work to improve their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, there is a fourth goal that is less talked about but just as important to the workplace: justice. Tanya Gibson, who spoke at PCMA's EduCon 2021 on July 8, incorporates the goal of justice into her title as vice president of JEDI — justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion — and human resources at Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

The Sands Expo & Convention Center, the 2.25 million-square-foot convention center adjacent to The Venetian, is getting a name change.

Like most events held in 2020, Pride celebrations globally were cancelled last year or moved online. But the challenges of Covid-19 also brought new opportunities. During the LGBT Meeting Professionals Association's "Day of Diversity" on June 30, industry leaders shared their experiences planning Pride celebrations during the pandemic, discussed new ways for connecting year-round and emphasized the need for enhancing diversity and inclusion efforts at every event.

The 323,000-panel array located in the desert north of Las Vegas will supply electricity for 36,000 rooms in 13 Strip resorts when it’s activated.

The power-up plan will provide a long stride toward the company’s energy sustainability goals.

When the pandemic struck and in-person events were suspended in early 2020, a number of BPA-audited trade shows pivoted to become virtual events. However, organizers soon found they needed guidance on reporting metrics for digital events since there did not seem to be any “industry standard.” To address this need, BPA began working with UFI to develop reporting standards for a digital or “hybrid” trade show that would also allow it to earn “UFI Approved Event” status.

A coalition of 24 trade organizations representing a large and diverse swath of the U.S. economy is renewing urgent calls to lift restrictions on international visitation to the United States, and on Wednesday released a policy blueprint for reopening borders safely.

After a standstill of almost eight months since the beginning of November 2020, trade fairs are again taking place again in Germany.

The Saxony-Anhalt State Building Exhibition in Magdeburg was the first to start, in a compact form, 25-27 June 2021, as part of a pilot project.

Severe drought and record-setting heat waves in western North America serve as a clear reminder of the urgent need to maintain sustainability as an event priority and step-up your event sustainability strategy. Here’s what you need to do.

EventWell, the event industry’s charitable social enterprise, has confirmed the return of its two-day virtual summit, EventWell Live.

The summit from 13-14 July aims to bring event professionals together and provide them with tools and tips to help make better lifestyle choices, enhance personal health, and gain knowledge to foster a healthy workplace culture.

The U.S. Department of Commerce will soon announce a $750 million investment in travel and tourism, according to Gina Raimondo, the department secretary, speaking on a virtual forum conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA).

To aid in the selection process for the world’s largest events, Northstar Meetings Group has created the meetings industry’s first-and-only Convention Cities Index, a weighted-ranking system that identifies those destinations that are ideally suited for the world’s grandest gatherings. The CCi rankings reveal the top 25 global convention cities, as well as the top 25 U.S. cities.

More than 1,200 event professionals gathered at MPI’s World Education Congress at CAESARS FORUM last week, the largest in-person industry event so far this year. While attendance was about half of pre-pandemic levels, the large showing is another shot in the arm for an industry recovering from essentially a lost year of business.

Wikimania, the annual conference of the Wikimedia Foundation, is going virtual for the first time in its 16-year history. Instead of viewing it as a limitation, the operator of Wikipedia and other free knowledge projects is taking the opportunity to expand the event’s reach across time zones and language barriers.

Trade show, exhibition and the event professionals took a moment to celebrate the industry’s worth and influence before a grand kickoff of shows begins to flood the global marketplace.

The Biden administration is making progress toward reopening borders. According to the White House, it is creating ‘working groups’ with other countries, including Canada, the European Union, Mexico and the United Kingdom to lift restrictions.

Royal Caribbean International has announced that six of its ships will begin sailing from major U.S. cruise ports in Florida and Texas in July and August. The full fleet will be in operation by the end of 2021, according to the company.

A rapidly recovering Las Vegas will be the focus of the global tourism industry Monday, when World of Concrete stages the first major trade show in the United States since the COVID pandemic wiped out the lucrative convention and meeting business.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) released data that suggests more than two million jobs could be created if international travel reopens before the busy summer period.

New seating layouts, zero-proof cocktails and meals that boost your immune system are among the top food-and-beverage trends for face-to-face meetings this year.

At WEC Vegas, June 15-17 at CAESARS FORUM, MPI is bringing key women leaders from Las Vegas together for a panel discussion called “The Superwomen of Vegas: Rising Up and Empowering Others”.

The coming months will see live entertainment venues opening in waves, some for the first time in well over a year. Those working in this industry and have weathered the pandemic’s devastating effects on their businesses need practical, actionable guidance on which CDC-recommended health precautions to take.

ROI around virtual events can mean different things for your different stakeholders - from your attendees, sponsors, exhibitors to your speakers and clients. So what do you need to know when measuring the success of online events?