Special events business news

Venue News

Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City has officially opened its doors as the first hotel connected to the Salt Palace Convention Center. The new hotel has added 60,000 square feet of event space to the area, including the largest indoor hotel ballroom in Salt Lake City and the Sundance Terrace, the largest outdoor rooftop space. Additional meeting spaces include 21 flexible breakout rooms, pre-function areas and a second ballroom, as well as the Broadcast Lounge, one of the first to debut from the Hyatt Regency brand, allowing guests the option to attend a live conference in a hybrid manner. The hotel features 700 spacious guestrooms and suites, plus several dining options, including an upscale rooftop restaurant Mar | Muntanya, which offers Northern Spanish cuisine highlighting the culinary bounty found in Salt Lake City. 

On the Move

ASM Global announced the appointment of Kimberly Weedmark of Universal Studios Hollywood as new general manager for the Los Angeles Convention Center. Weedmark has worked in the LA convention space for more than two decades and will use her group sales and special events experience to continue fostering growth in downtown LA. 

Hot off the Press

The American Rental Association’s (ARA) trade show, The ARA ShowTM 2023, will be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, February 12–15, 2023. The ARA Show is the largest equipment and event rental trade show and convention in the world. The event provides a unique opportunity for those in the rental industry to meet with their peers for targeted education, networking and a three-day trade show featuring more than 650 exhibitors. Daymond John of ABC's "Shark Tank” will offer the keynote speech. “We’re very happy to be back on our normal schedule and look forward to bringing the rental community together at the show in February,” says Tony Conant, CEO American Rental Association. 

Hudson River Park Friends (HRPK Friends) returned to Pier Sixty in Hudson River Park to celebrate the four-mile-long oasis provided to millions of New Yorkers daily. HRPK Friends held its 2022 Gala at Chelsea Piers and raised $2.6 million to support the park's free events and programs, the maintenance of landscapes and gardens, and the future care of new park areas under construction, including Gansevoort Peninsula and Pier 97, which will add another eight acres of open green space. The organization partnered with global agency JWP (formerly Josh Wood Productions), one of the world's leading forces in event production and talent engagement, to facilitate everything from the red carpet and cocktail hour to the table settings, dining room décor, and entertainment.