Check out the latest group travel industry updates.
The Mob Museum acquires property
The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, in Las Vegas, Nevada, recently announced it has purchased a nearly 30,000-square-foot parcel of land directly to its east. Bordered to the south by Stewart Avenue and to the east/northeast by Fourth Street, the wedge-shaped parcel provides the museum with additional space to build out much-needed facilities for administration, exhibitions, archives, educational and entertainment programs, and food and beverage facilities.
Biltmore displays Leonardo’s genius
“Leonardo da Vinci–500 Years of Genius” is on view through Feb. 20, 2023, in Amherst at Deerpark, the exhibition and event space on the grounds of Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina.
The third installment of Biltmore’s Legends of Art & Innovation exhibition series, “Leonardo da Vinci–500 Years of Genius” explains and draws together all aspects of da Vinci’s life and times, his key achievements, and how his talents, thoughts, innovations, and inventions are still just as relevant today—500 years later.
This immersive experience includes replicas of da Vinci’s large-scale machine inventions, many of which are interactive, and detailed reproductions of his masterpiece paintings, codices, and drawings. Twenty models of the machines da Vinci designed are featured, each model constructed directly from the pages of da Vinci’s codices. Artisans who did the work used materials readily available in the 15th century, including wood, cotton, brass, iron, and canvas.
NTA picks Shreveport-Bossier for 2023 Travel Exchange
The National Tour Association’s Travel Exchange, set for Nov. 12–15, 2023, will be held in northwest Louisiana. Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau staff, tourism industry supporters and state government officials recently gathered to make the announcement.
NTA’s membership includes tour operator companies — group, independent, inbound and outbound — and the destinations and suppliers that partner with them. About 500 to 700 people are expected to attend Travel Exchange, and the economic impact is predicted to be $1.7 million.
“Hosting this prestigious event affords Shreveport-Bossier tremendous exposure to the travel industry, and we thank the Louisiana Office of Tourism for helping to sponsor NTA,” said Stacy Brown, president/CEO of the SBCTB. “While the economic benefit is certainly exciting, we are truly looking forward to the marketing exposure NTA will ultimately bring.”
National Atomic Testing Museum unveils new exhibit
Credit: National Atomic Testing Museum
On Aug. 2, the National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada, debuted a brand-new joint exhibit created in partnership with the United States Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management. “Beyond the Manhattan Project: Cleaning up the Legacy of America’s Nuclear Defense and Research Missions” details the critical work the Office of Environmental Management does to clean up various sites impacted by five decades of nuclear weapons production and government-sponsored nuclear energy research.
In addition to showcasing how the cleanup of contaminated nuclear weapons manufacturing and testing sites is completed, the new exhibit will also increase public awareness of how the Office of Environmental Management cooperates with local communities to ensure the health and safety of the public and workforce in the United States.
“We are thrilled with the positive reception from the grand opening event and look forward to welcoming museum guests to this brand-new, one-of-a-kind exhibit,” says Joseph Kent, director of education for the National Atomic Testing Museum. “We hope guests not only leave with extensive knowledge of the history of nuclear testing but also understand the extenuating measures taken to ensure proper cleanup of such nuclear tests.”
Eiteljorg Museum opens new Native American galleries
Credit: Eiteljorg Museum
New Native American Galleries opened in June at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis, Indiana. The new galleries are a space for Native peoples themselves to be the authority of their own stories. Previous Native galleries arranged artworks by geographic region. By contrast, the new galleries approach the presentation from a Native perspective, and are organized around the themes of relation, continuation and innovation, concepts shared by many Native cultures.
