Special events business news

Venue News

Hilton has announced the opening of Canopy by Hilton San Francisco SoMa. This elevated boutique hotel and dining destination provides guests with a locally inspired experience, celebrating the best of the neighborhood. The 12-story, 78,000-square-foot property includes 194 guestrooms including two penthouse suites, a stunning rooftop lounge with panoramic city views, a street-level coffee shop, a fitness center, and five meeting rooms offering 4,400 square feet of event space. Flexible meeting spaces provide a unique backdrop for intimate events and private dining including the Mezzanine Bar & Lounge and The Velvet Room. 

Hot off the Press

Informa, Special Events’ parent company, the international Academic Markets, B2B Markets and Digital Services Group has reached an agreement to acquire Winsight, the leading specialist B2B Events, Data, and Media Group for the Foodservice market, for an initial enterprise value of $380m, payable in cash. The combination with Informa’s existing portfolio in Foodservice is both commercially and financially compelling, significantly enhancing our position in a large, growing and fragmented market and delivering strong returns for shareholders. Read the full press release on catersource.com. 

Liverpool’s Eurovision Song Contest 2023 Opening Ceremony was marked by the largest single-location drone show in the UK to date, featuring 624 drones flown by Celestial as part of the National Lottery’s Big Eurovision Welcome. Over 40,000 people witnessed the 90-minute concert at St George’s Hall featuring performances from music legends like The Lightning Seeds, Atomic Kitten, and The Real Thing, and a reunion performance by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. The 624-drone display used Drone Show Technology from SPH Engineering and consisted of two 4-minute shows featuring Celestial’s signature ability to bring giant drone art organic forms to life, such as Ukraine’s national bird (the white stork) and Liverpool’s symbolic mythical creature (the liver bird).