San Francisco’s “newest” neighborhood, Mission Bay, is the bio-tech and medical research heart of the “City by the Bay,” but it is also the hottest new events destination in a first-tier city that’s always at the top of meeting planners’ wish lists.

Philadelphia CVB President & CEO Julie Coker is departing the bureau to take the top spot at the San Diego Tourism Authority, tendering her resignation in March 2020. Coker served as president and CEO of the Philadelphia CVB (PHLCVB) since January 2016. Read more.

ASAE President and CEO John H. Graham IV passed away after an extended battle with cancer. The association said that Susan Robertson will continue to serve as its interim president and CEO. Read more.

PCMA announced two strategic alliances during its Convening Leaders 2020 conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center South that are aimed to bringing its meetings, events and incentives educational reach to a wider audience. Convening Leaders also enjoyed a 14% spike in attendance over the 2019 edition. Read more.

In her 36 years supervising convention services for the Philadelphia CVB, Philomena Petro, who retired at the end of December 2019, has seen that position grow exponentially in importance to bureaus. Discover key trends impacting the meetings industry from the convention services perspective. Read more.

The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa helps man’s best friend find forever homes as part of its lobby dog adoption program, with nearly 150 dogs to date trotting out of the lobby with a new family. Read more.

Oracle just announced it is pulling up stakes and moving its 60,000-strong OpenWorld conference from San Francisco to Las Vegas for the next three years, citing exorbitant hotel prices and perceived safety issues due to the city's homeless crisis. Also, check out our podcasts from Lead Destination Strategist Danielle LeBreck, who traveled to Australia for the Dreamtime incentives event and a fam to the idyllic Whitsunday Islands.

Almost half of the meetings held in Las Vegas involve less than 500 attendees, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). Read more.

Oracle cited attendee safety concerns in announcing it is cancelling its annual OpenWorld conference in San Francisco and moving it to Las Vegas starting in 2020 after holding the event in San Francisco for more than 20 years.