While I’m proud of the strides I’ve made in my public speaking journey, my road to comfort with verbal communication began not with confidence, but with silence.

Sustainability in the meetings and events space is rapidly shifting from a value-add to a baseline expectation. Soon, eco-conscious touches that once served as a bonus to gatherings may no longer suffice—a broad web of ESG (environmental, social and governance) initiatives will need to be clearly woven into the tapestry of benefits associated with attending an event.

While destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) are often discussed in the context of their marketing efforts, their mission and influence stretch much further.

For more than a decade, the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) has tracked how exhibitors allocate marketing dollars across channels. After a temporary pause, the research resumed in the latter part of 2025, offering marketers and exhibition organizers an updated look at how exhibitors are approaching event participation, marketing integration and ROI measurement.

In today’s dynamic attractions landscape, augmented reality (AR) technology is emerging as a solution for the gap between entertainment experiences and active engagement.

When The Living Seas opened at Epcot in 1986, the pavilion reflected an era when large-scale aquarium attractions were designed to impress—anchored by scale, spectacle, and themed storytelling. Four decades later, now known as The Seas with Nemo & Friends, the building’s identity has evolved to reflect shifting guest expectations and a broader emphasis on education, conservation, and measurable impact.

Amid the cacti and mountain ranges that line central Arizona’s highways, family entertainment centers (FECs) also pepper the landscape, offering accessible fun for residents and tourists alike. These facilities provide air-conditioned escapes from the intense summer heat—but many also challenge themselves to deliver dynamic entertainment experiences year-round.

Beneath Gatorland’s iconic gator mouth entrance and beside a towering wooden cake display, media gathered in anticipation of Gatorland’s 75th anniversary celebration on May 17.

Representing a $30 million investment, Silver Dollar City has transformed Fire in the Hole into a multi-generational coaster experience built upon three layers of track within a five-story building.

June 22nd-28th is National Pollinator Week, but Philadelphia Zoo employees urge visitors year-round to create natural spaces where pollinators can prosper.

Black-run nonprofits are allocated fewer resources than White-led ones, according to a 2016 report commissioned by the Philadelphia African American Leadership Forum.

Two youth fellows at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge are working to make clean-ups accessible, safe, and widespread. To help, all you have to do is fill a bag with trash and share a photo on social media with #PhilaBag.

Over spring break, Migrations students were scheduled to travel to Tucson, Ariz.; San Diego, Calif.; and Tijuana, Mexico––cities highlighting how borders impact migration patterns and everyday lives. However, when the trip was canceled due to the spread of COVID-19, students jumped into action to craft a new plan.