The MIT Sustainability Summit 2023 used a food categorization tool from the Sustainability Indicator Management & Analysis Platform (SIMAP) to track, analyze, and improve sustainability at the event.

Calculating carbon usage was essential for the graduate students who planned the MIT Sustainability Summit 2023 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge on April 28. The 14th annual, one-day summit focused on demystifying carbon markets, and it was the first year the meeting would be entirely carbon neutral.

“We’re tracing our footprint across the entirety of the event, and adding scope,” said Alexa Katz, an MIT MBA candidate and a director of operations for the summit. “We’re conscious of our decisions from a venue perspective and a food perspective. One of the easiest choices was to go vegetarian, to signal to our guests that we’re serious about carbon in general.”

Reducing single-use plastics, using washable dishware, and having nut milk for coffee service became part of that plan. So was reaching out to other event professionals about sustainability. “We kicked off that conversation with REVERB,” said Zach Sternberg, another director of operations for the summit, who reached out to the nonprofit that reduces the environmental footprint of concerts for artists such as Billie Eilish. “That conversation centered around, ‘Where does ambiguity lie in this process of trying to green up events?’ It’s rare that anyone has a hard set of guidelines out there.”

RELATED: Taking Carbon off Event Menus

The summit’s organizers eventually settled on the food categorization tool from the Sustainability Indicator Management & Analysis Platform (SIMAP), designed for campuses to track, analyze, and improve sustainability. “We’re going menu item by menu item to calculate the total weight of each ingredient that’s ordered, then categorizing that and multiplying it by emissions,” Sternberg said. “We want someone to walk away from the summit having a tool at their fingertips if they want to apply that strategy at their institutions.”

Among the lunch dishes at the summit were barbecued tofu with cabbage and papaya slaw and grilled portobello mushrooms with roasted red peppers, fontina, and tapenade. Plant-based passed appetizers made the rounds at an evening happy hour. Being surrounded by a campus meant there was already a built-in system for food waste, Sternberg said. “If there’s ever leftover food, we post it on [an online messaging system], and it disappears very quickly.”

Corin Hirsch is a New York–based writer specializing in F&B and travel, and former associate editor at Convene.

Learn more about

• the Sustainability Indicator Management & Analysis Platform.
• the MIT Sustainability Summit 2023.

At the Pennsylvania Convention Center, attendees can gather in the Grand Hall, one of the only remaining Victorian train sheds in the U.S.

The City of Brotherly Love, an early U.S. capital, the home of the Philly cheesesteak, and the famous backdrop of the “Rocky” movie franchise — no matter what comes to mind when you think of Philadelphia, there’s so much more to discover in this vibrant city. For meeting planners looking to flawlessly execute a large-scale event, this diverse and intriguing metropolis makes the ideal setting thanks to its world-class convention center, abundant hotel offerings, and more.

A flexible meeting space

Convenience meets flexibility when you hold a meeting, convention, or trade show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (PCC). Offering more than 679,000 square feet of exhibit space with seven halls and 82 meeting rooms, plus the largest ballroom in the Northeast, the PCC can easily accommodate large gatherings. Working with the Philadelphia Convention and Visitor Bureau’s Destination Services Team, event planners can customize the convention center space to fit their needs and fulfill their wildest ideas. Take United Soccer Coaches, for example. The world’s largest association of soccer coaches meets in Philadelphia every four years, building three soccer fields inside the PCC as part of their event.

With this flexibility and on-the-ground support, as well as the convention center’s state-of-the-art technology, the sky’s the limit when it comes to event hosting. At the end of the day, the PCC is more than a floor space, it’s an experience.

Join the ranks of organizations and meeting planners that flock to Philadelphia to host large-scale events. (Elevated Angles)

New hotel developments

Part of Philadelphia’s appeal as a meetings destination is the PCC’s central location. Sitting at the heart of the city, attendees are within walking distance of many attractions and more than 14,400 hotel rooms.

But this is just for starters, as Philadelphia’s hotel landscape is constantly expanding. Most recently, the city celebrated several new hotel openings, such as the Guild House Hotel, named one of the world’s best new hotels in 2022, and the Live! Casino & Hotel with more than 510,000 square feet of gaming, hotel, dining, and entertainment.

Beyond the new properties, several hotels are also undergoing impressive renovations, including the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. As the PCC’s anchor hotel, this property recently refreshed all 1,408 guest rooms, giving them a more residential feel, and also upgraded its technology offerings, with public workstations, numerous Wi-Fi access points, and more.

What’s coming to Philly

Planning your next gathering in Philadelphia is an easy choice, made by organizers of some of the world’s biggest events coming up in the next few years. In 2024, Philadelphia will welcome wrestling’s biggest fans for WrestleMania 40, a weeklong WWE pop culture extravaganza, including six major events at three venues. In 2026, soccer fans from around the world will fill the city to watch matches for the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament, part of a packed and impressive sports calendar that year, which also will include the PGA Championship, Major League Baseball All-Star Game, and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

As the 12th-largest city in the U.S. — and among the fastest-growing metropolises — Fort Worth offers one of the most convenient meeting packages in the country.

Event organizers must consider countless factors when choosing the perfect destination for their groups. But if originality is top of mind, they need look no further than Fort Worth, Texas, a city where the cowboy way of life meets modern culture in all the best ways possible.

Here are just a few reasons why this Lone Star State city is a natural and perhaps unexpected draw for events.

Unbeatable Access

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is the second-busiest airport in the world (for passenger traffic), with more than 1,700 daily flights and nonstop service to 200-plus destinations.

Spacious Facilities

The Fort Worth Convention Center offers more than 180,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, a 13,000-seat arena, and a 28,000-square-foot ballroom along with 25 adjacent meeting rooms. This convenient gathering space is complemented by a walkable downtown right outside its doors, offering more than 3,000 hotel rooms. An additional 11,000 hotel rooms can be found across Fort Worth.

Ever-expanding Offerings

Fort Worth has welcomed several standout hotels in recent years with many more to come. This summer, the 200-room Crescent Hotel will open in the Cultural District, while the 106-room Bowie House, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, will open in the same area in late 2023.

In the next five years, the city also looks towards a multi-phase expansion of its convention center, the addition of a Texas A&M research campus downtown, and the $500-million redevelopment of its Stockyards Historic District — all adding to the appeal of this destination.

Lively Neighborhoods

Attendees can leave the convention center and head straight to the adjacent Sundance Square District, packed with 35 blocks of restaurants, live music clubs, theaters, shops, and exciting nightlife.

For traditional Texas culture, head to the Stockyards to dance the night away at Billy Bob’s Texas, the world’s largest honky-tonk; watch the brave bull riders at the world’s only year-round rodeo; and admire the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive, the Fort Worth Herd.

Contrasting the city’s Western heritage is the sleek and modern architecture of the Cultural District. In addition to stunning museums, this district also includes the Fort Worth Botanic Garden and nearby Fort Worth Zoo, ranked one of the top zoos in the nation.

Fort Worth may be home to six of the top 50 barbecue joints in Texas, but its international cuisine is equally noteworthy.

Thriving Food Scene

From historic Texan saloons and craft BBQ joints to trendsetting breweries, cocktail bars, and sustainable vegan-friendly cafés, Fort Worth’s culinary scene is not only exciting, but filled with plenty of options to suit every palate. As of early 2023, the city even boasts two restaurants recognized by the James Beard Awards: Goldee’s BBQ, a semi-finalist and Don Artemio, a finalist.

Choosing the right venue is one of the biggest decisions you must make as a planner. With Ocean Casino Resort, the decision becomes easy. Featuring 1,860 guest rooms, an on-site spa and bathhouse, 20-plus dining concepts, and more than 160,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, this AAA Four-Diamond resort has everything you need to wow your attendees.

From the floor-to-ceiling views of the ocean and the Atlantic City skyline in every guest room to the dedicated meeting floor that can host anywhere from 10 to 10,000 attendees, the stage is already set for an unforgettable event.

This summer, Ocean Casino Resort celebrates its fifth birthday, and its dedication to excellence can be seen in the continued evolution and development of its best-in-class property amenities. Several new openings will soon add to the Resort’s already impressive culinary and retail offerings, including an elevated wine and spirit experience, a stylish home goods store and The Soup Spot – offering a rotating selection of homemade soups crafted by the Resort’s talented culinary team. More than 300 rooms are also being enhanced, including two state-of-the-art multi-floor residences along with a helipad for VIPs.

Set along 20 beachfront acres, Ocean Casino Resort also boasts 90,000 square feet of unique outdoor spaces set against a panoramic backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean to bring your next meeting to inspiring new levels. By bringing your event to Ocean Casino Resort, your attendees can seamlessly move from morning meetings to casual lunch breaks with colleagues, and from brainstorming sessions to after-hours drinks all in one easy to navigate location. And when it comes time to have some fun, treat your team to some fun: Ocean Casino Resort is home to the world’s largest indoor TopGolf Swing Suite as well as Exhale Spa + Bathhouse, which offers a litany of unique wellness and relaxation experiences.

Give your attendees an inspiring destination experience at the award-winning Ocean Casino Resort.

Your colleagues are on the move, find out who is going where.

Andrea Christopherson

Andrea Christopherson has joined SearchWide Global as vice president to assist with the organization’s director and C-level searches and business development initiatives in the experiential event marketing, tradeshow, and convention spaces. Christopherson has more than 20 years of experience leading talent acquisition, training, sales and marketing, events, and customer experience. Most recently, she worked as chief experience officer for SalesBoost.

Abigail Trangmar

Virgin Hotels has appointed Abigail Trangmar as director of sales, U.K. In this role, she will oversee sales initiatives and cross-collaborate with stakeholders across Virgin Group to drive revenue growth and expand brand presence for Virgin Hotels in the U.K. market. Trangmar has more than 15 years of experience working in hospitality. Previously, she served as destination manager for Virgin Atlantic Holidays for six years.

Lou Ana Garcia

Rosewood São Paulo has appointed Lou Ana Garcia as its social impact manager. In this position, Garcia will be responsible for driving the property’s sustainability initiatives. She will educate the hotel’s associates on the property’s efforts, work to implement the tracking of plastic, food waste, water, and carbon, and engage with the local community to support hiring, sourcing, and partnerships. Garcia previously worked as project manager for sustainability and CSR for Accor.

After a successful run as the host of PCMA Convening Leaders 2023 this past January, Columbus should be on every planner’s short list for their next event. Ohio’s capital has been listed on so many “best places” lists that it’s hard to keep track. And its reputation for collaboration, innovation and inclusivity helps create a welcoming and energetic vibe that both planners and attendees love. Here are just a few things that make Columbus such a stand-out meeting destination:

It’s big!
As the 14^th largest city in the U.S., Columbus is one of the fastest growing cities in the Midwest. If you’re looking for a place to host a large-scale event, the 1.8-million-square-foot Greater Columbus Convention Center offers 373,000 square feet of contiguous space, 10,000 square feet of outdoor space, 75 meeting rooms and three ballrooms. Not to mention all the unique off-site venues found throughout the city.

It has a walkable downtown
The Greater Columbus Convention Center is located in the heart of downtown Columbus, which means visitors can find historic theaters, world-class museums and acres of green space within easy walking distance. The convention center is also steps from the Short North Arts District—known as the “art and soul” of Columbus—and the Arena District.

All are welcome
The city’s diverse neighborhoods and vibrant LGBTQIA+ community are intricately woven into the fabric of Columbus, and Experience Columbus has made it its mission to amplify the people, businesses and places for the benefit of locals and visitors alike. Initiatives such as the Accessibility Guide, Diversity Apprenticeship Program and CBUS Soul® help put this mission into action.

Innovation happens here
Home to five Fortune 500 companies, 52 colleges and universities, and recently dubbed the soon-to-be “Silicon Heartland” thanks to Intel choosing the Columbus region as the headquarters for the only major semiconductor manufacturer in the U.S., Columbus is an innovation hub. Planners can easily leverage this to book unique local speakers and partner with local vendors who can tap into this exciting facet of the city.

A city on the rise
Choosing a place people already want to visit is an easy way to bump up your registration numbers. Bringing your event to Columbus can even help you bring in the Gen Z crowd—The New York Times named it one of the “Best Cities for Gen Z” in 2022.

Ready to make your next event a successful one? Experience Columbus is here to help you bring your vision to life.