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Davenport, Iowa—Citing the consistent revenue stream resulting from the VenuWorks team, the Davenport City Council voted to extend and expand the VenuWorks management contract with  the RiverCenter Complex in Davenport, Iowa. VenuWorks has managed this meetings & event space since 1998. The contract extension is for a five-year term and will continue through August 2015. “We are happy to continue our partnership with the City of Davenport and its excellent facilities,” said Steve Peters, President of VenuWorks.

New Orleans—This summer’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has nearly eliminated any positive news about the hospitality and meetings industry in the region. Leave it to the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center to counter that trend. The venue was recently honored with the prestigious President’s Award from the Gulf States Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) at their Annual Awards and Installation Luncheon held at Arnaud’s Restaurant in New Orleans.

Meeting Planners evaluating the destination cost will want to note that that the bargain price of air travel to famous Wisconsin destination, Milwaukee. Newly released 4th Quarter 2009 data from the U.S. Department of Transportation shows that Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport offers some of the lowest airfares in the U.S.

SMG has reached a new long term management agreement with the Manchester Evening News Arena (M.E.N), a 20,000+-seat arena in Manchester, England. Considered one of the top three arenas in the world based on concert ticket sales, SMG has managed the M.E.N. Arena since its 1995 opening. The new contract allows SMG to retain this position with the facility through 2035.