PRESENTS
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As politicians and policymakers gather at the IMEX Policy Forum in Frankfurt, key partners of The Iceberg are providing a timely reminder of the transformational contribution of business and professional events and their ‘beyond tourism’ benefits. GainingEdge CEO Gary Grimmer and Gregg Talley, President and CEO of the Talley Management Group, discuss what meetings actually…
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You might not think that the second man to walk on the moon would need a conference name badge. Back in 2015 Buzz Aldrin addressed the 66th International Astronautical Congress in Jerusalem. Hosted by the Israel Space Agency, the event saw over 2,000 participants brought together from 60 countries, and has left a significant legacy. From Boardroom…
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With a network of eight major association destinations, the Hauts-de-France region definitely plays alongside the big champions of the meetings industry. It is also now committed to an ambitious and innovative policy: the Third Industrial Revolution, a concept right at the meeting point of energy transition, digital transformation and new economic models. From Boardroom…
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The China-LAC Summit is an annual event organised by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). It is a key entrepreneurial event for companies from China and the Latin American and Caribbean countries. The Punta del Este Convention and Exhibition Center was honored to host the 11th edition of…
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With more than 37 million people living in greater Tokyo, the city is probably the world’s largest metropolitan area. As the 2020 Summer Olympic Games approach, Japan’s capital is growing even busier with the preparation of infrastructure, transport and human resources. Business events are right at the centre of this development fever. From Boardroom…
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Australian cities are leveraging medical knowledge and research specialities to secure major events and realise the investment, employment, healthcare and other legacies that result from them. The 20th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014), which took place in Melbourne after over two years’ extensive planning and preparation, might well be the epitome of this. From Boardroom…
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From ICC Sydney, to NZICC in Auckland, from Setia SPICE in Penang, to the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre, Rome’s Convention Center La Nuvola, the Paris Convention Centre, ICC Wales, and CRCC in Costa Rica, the construction of new convention centres across the world suggests face to face has a future. From Association Meetings International…
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When the Singapore Tourism Bureau invited several international and European associations to come over and visit local societies and conference venues, they did not expect much symbiosis between these different organisations. But the group started to see synergies across its various fields of expertise and even dreamed up a joint congress together. From Boardroom…
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In November the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) welcomed a record number of delegates to its 56th annual congress. Almost 1,300 members, including more than 40 association executives, travelled to Prague for four days of education, chapter meetings and networking. During the event, the inaugural winners of the “Incredible Impacts” grants supported by both…
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Montreal has become Canada’s cultural capital: not quite North American, but not entirely European either. Already home to top-notch researchers in fields like genetics, aging, economics and life sciences, Montreal’s scientific community is building on its international reputation. It is doing this both by winning scientific awards and by attracting large-scale international conventions. From Boardroom…
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The longest inhabited city on the globe, Jerusalem is not only holy to three major world religions but also an evolving association destination. Thanks to the presence of 17 academic institutions, the Israeli capital is also a modern-day knowledge hub. It boasts the largest number of start-ups and venture capital investments per capita anywhere. From Boardroom…
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In November the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) welcomed a record number of delegates to its 56th annual congress. Almost 1,300 members, including more than 40 association executives, travelled to Prague for four days of education, chapter meetings and networking. During the event, the inaugural winners of the “Incredible Impacts” grants supported by both…
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The Seattle City Council has voted unanimously to allow work on the expansion of the Washington State Convention Center to go forward. The $1.6 billion project, for which ground will be broken this year, aims to double the size of the facility to more than than 850,000 square feet of space. From Meetings & Conventions…
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The Palais des congrès de Montréal has assembled a group of leaders from eight of the city’s significant economic sectors into a Multisector Strategic Taskforce. Their mission will be to establish ties with key influencers who will actively help attract major international meetings to Montreal and to the Palais des congrès de Montréal itself. From Boardroom…
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The German events sector continues to grow, with meetings and conferences responsible for 31 percent of business trips. Digitisation and internationalisation are key for the industry, according to the newly-released Meeting & Event Barometer 2017-2018. Delegate growth in 2017 was 2.8 percent, with 405m participants in all. 24 percent of planners are organising hybrid events. From Meetpie.com…
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Jeannie Lim, Executive Director of Conventions, Meetings and Incentive Travel at the Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau, has been elected Board Chair of BestCities Global Alliance. BestCities is currently planning its third annual Global Forum taking place in Bogotá this December, and the second running of “Incredible Impacts” in partnership with ICCA. From Association Meetings International…
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Ten years after the first Howard’s Way Walk, its organisers have announced that the eighth and final trek on June 8th to 10th will retrace the inaugural route. The event industry charity has raised over £350,000 to fight pancreatic cancer in memory of one of its victims, freelance logistics manager Howard Kerr (pictured). From Meetpie.com…
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Iceberg partner the Events Industry Council will induct four sector professionals into its prestigious Hall of Leaders this October during IMEX America in Las Vegas. The inductees include Iceberg partner Corbin Ball of Corbin Ball & Co (pictured), Henry Givray of SmithBucklin, Edward Liu of CEMS Singapore, and former PCMA leader Deborah Sexton. Photo: @trekwireless.co.uk. From Meetings & Conventions…
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ICC Wales has reached an important milestone, with more than half the steel of the build now in place, including the framework of the 1,500-seat auditorium. The £84 million joint venture between Celtic Manor and the Welsh Government will accommodate 5,000 delegates and bring £70 million a year into the Welsh economy. From Meetpie.com…
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Istanbul’s standing as a destination for international association meetings is in tatters, with ICCA’s city rankings suggesting that its popularity for conferences has collapsed. For years the city proudly occupied a top ten position. Because of terrorism and other political turmoil, it dropped first to 39th place, and this year to 133rd. From Association Meetings International…
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Barcelona hosted more international association meetings than any other city last year, according to statistics from the International Congress and Convention Association. There is a familiar look to the top five of ICCA’s city rankings, but the Catalonian capital has claimed the headline spot for the first time since 2004. From Association Meetings International…
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As the global meetings industry gathers in Frankfurt, a market of solid growth and inspiring innovation will be the main takeaway according to Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group. This year’s IMEX is the largest ever, with Latin America’s space expanded by eight percent and Africa’s by seven percent. From Meetpie.com…
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UFI, the exhibition industry’s global association, has elected its first female and USA-based President. Mary Larkin (above right), Executive Vice President of Portland-based Diversified Communications, will serve for the 2019-20 term, after both incoming President Craig Newman (left) and the current President Corrado Peraboni (centre). From CIM News Magazine…
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According to International Congress and Convention Association statistics, the Middle East has been the fastest growing region for hosting international association meetings, even starting from a low base. ICCA has pointed to an eighty percent growth in the engagement of its own Middle East membership as proof. From Association Meetings International…
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The study explores the benefits and barriers for individual researchers and universities when hosting research conferences. The study has been commissioned by the Danish Council for Research and Innovation Policy – an advisory body to the Danish Minister of Higher Education and Science. Thereby the study situates the hosting of research conferences as a potential…
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London Tech Week is a festival of live events taking place once a year across the United Kingdom capital. Having been held now for four years, it has become a key gathering for the ICT industry in London. It connects the entire tech ecosystem both within the city and beyond, shapes the future of the…
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Many international convention centres use sophisticated methods to measure the economic impact of business events in their host cities. Others recognise the importance of food in customer experience and promote programs like paddock to plate or food miles. ICC Sydney marries these two concepts together and takes them to a new level by measuring the…
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Growing its business events sector is part of Malaysia’s strategy to achieve status as a developed nation by 2020. This case study presents the contribution made by the 55th ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) Congress towards developing the business events sector in the country. ICCA’s event engaged political leaders and the local community to raise awareness of the needs…
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The Geneva Convention Bureau has adopted a policy of promoting Geneva not only as a destination but also as a center of economic, knowledge and innovation excellence. It does this by marketing meetings and events in relation to local key clusters of industry. As a result, a dynamic and virtuous feedback loop is established between Geneva’s economic or knowledge…
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This research by Business Events Sydney (BESydney) demonstrates that business events offer delegates unrestricted exposure to innovative ideas and opportunities to develop new knowledge and skills. Part of the Beyond Tourism Benefits series, the new study by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) – Conferences: catalysts for thriving economies – provides further evidence showing that…
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For almost 30 years, GLOBALSTRAT has been collecting independent data on how international associations are approaching global membership, programs and engagement. This valuable information and insights are used to help associations to make better informed decisions when developing their international strategies and business plans. According to the United Nations, the world population is expected to…
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Most leaders expect their investments in incentive, reward and recognition (IRR) programs to drive more sales, increase revenue, result in a larger share of the market, or produce some other return on investment. Leaders may also seek measurable improvements in production costs, product quality, reduced accidents and down-time, lower attrition and absenteeism, and increased engagement,…
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Have a look Pacific World’s Destination Index, a unique tool to provide corporate, association and agency planners with an advanced indicator of destination popularity for international meetings, incentives and events. The index is based on over 5,000 international enquiries received worldwide, actual meeting and event results and highly valuable feedback from attending delegates from around…
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“2017 was a good year for UK meetings industry sales growth” reports Louise Goalen, Chair of HBAA, as the HBAA Meetings Barometer results for 2017 are revealed. The average spend per meeting and average spend per delegate in the UK both grew significantly year on year in 2017, despite a slight decline in the average…
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Ashfield Meetings & Events is pleased to announce a 2018 follow-up study to the 2016 “Future Of Meetings” white paper. “The Science Of Healthcare Professional Meetings” compares and contrasts the perceptions of healthcare professionals (HCPs) across a wide variety of speciality areas, and dives deeper into the ongoing evolution of the medical meetings landscape. By looking…
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A new research report examining “The Rise of Midsize Cities in the Meetings Industry” in North America and Europe, commissioned by the IMEX Group and developed by Skift, has been published. The free 40+ page report carefully examines why and how some midsize cities (historically known as second-tier cities, a label they’ve now shaken off) have managed…
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The Iceberg revels in the complex cross-networking of its industry association partners. Recently the Chief Marketing Officer of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence attended his first Joint Meetings Industry Council summit in Hannover, Germany. Here he is with the confessions and impressions of a JMIC virgin. From SoolNua’s Pádraic Gilligan at Padraicino…
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Despite being a coastal city, Cape Town is fighting the worst drought in its history and has come close to actually running out of water. But even before the problem turned critical, water-related conferences were identifying opportunities for creating legacies in the destination. “Never waste a good crisis” has become the apt motto. From Boardroom…
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In 2016 Turkey’s largest city Istanbul claimed eighth spot in ICCA’s much-trumpeted city rankings. Today it is in 133rd place. Over the past 24 months the city has suffered deadly terrorist attacks, a failed coup, and a series of purges against its citizens, including teachers, journalists and lawyers. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
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Last year Toronto hosted 951 meetings and events that attracted 400,000 delegates and generated $634 million for the local economy. But business events are too often overlooked in the wider accounting of tourism impact across Canada, as are the ambassador programmes that bring in such meetings to Canadian destinations. From BNN Bloomberg…
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IMEX 2018 is currently underway in Frankfurt. One of the greatest meetings industry exhibitions, the event also showcases key trends and advancements in the sector. The Iceberg’s favourite topic, legacy, is the main theme this year, but also making headlines are: event tech, wellness, live and experiential, and CSR and sustainability. From tmf dialogue marketing…
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The announcement of the Australian Government’s AU$12 million national bid fund is a major turning point for the business events industry. Tourism Australia’s unit Business Events Australia will oversee the fund, which has been made possible in no small part by Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steve Ciobo. From CIM News Magazine…
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Amazon’s smart speakers like the Echo and Echo Dot may be always listening. But the company itself has very firm ideas about how meetings are run, and they begin with up to thirty minutes of silence. Is the business that made Jeff Bezos the world’s wealthiest man onto something? From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…
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Seasoned meetings industry veterans always take pleasure in discovering any destination unfairly overlooked. For one Iceberg partner a new find is the Swedish seaport of Gothenburg. Hotel Svenska Massan / Gothia Towers recently held a centenary event for customers from all over Europe “that combined intelligence with stardust”. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…
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“Legacy” is the talking point not just of The Iceberg but also of the IMEX Group’s 2018 events. So as the global industry gathers in Frankfurt, The Iceberg is reposting thoughts on legacy published earlier this year by ICC Sydney CEO Geoff Donaghy. In 2017 the venue unveiled a multi-streamed legacy programme. From Geoff Donaghy via LinkedIn…
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Despite a recent report that men give more than twice as many talks than women at scientific conferences, there are signs that female-to-male ratios are improving at some events. One of the best strategies for tackling the gender agenda is to include women as part of the team that selects speakers. From PCMA Convene…
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While The Iceberg prefers to write “familiarisation trips”, the rest of the industry seems to stick with the shorter “fam trips”, or sometimes the capital “FAM trips”. Which should be considered correct? One of our more particular partners places the use of that shift key under the microscope. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…
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The Iceberg has previously covered the legacy created by Calgary for the International Play Association World Conference. Now delegates at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, have also taken time out to talk about play. Unilever, LEGO Foundation and IKEA Group founded the Real Play Coalition in partnership with National Geographic. From PCMA Convene…
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PCMA Education Conference – Where New Ideas and Event Design Converge. As learning styles rapidly evolve and experience expectations continue to rise, do you find yourself in need of idea butane to stay ahead of the curve? Activities include conversations with thought leaders who bring fresh outside perspectives. Together we will celebrate dialogue as we reimagine the…
No matter event length or type, meeting professionals most likely will need to ship things there. Make sure your materials arrive on time and in good condition with tips on best and next practices in shipping goods and services from recent MPI research. Understand service providers, roles and responsibilities; discover best practices to help you…
The CIS, Certified Incentive Specialist, is an entry level certification program from SITE. Professionals from around the globe will acquire in an efficient manner a broad comprehension of the incentive travel industry. All emerging professionals, faculty members and students aspiring to enter this specialized segment of the meetings and events industry may use CIS as a…
Plan Your Meeting Live (PYM LIVE) is a cutting-edge, relevant and engaging event developed specifically for the non-traditional meeting professional – the person whose job responsibilities include so much more than planning meetings or events. PYM LIVE is a great way to hone your planning skills and connect with people who can help increase your chances…
Hospitality and service industry workers have a right to a safe workplace. What does this mean? Join legal experts from employment law firm Campbell Litigation and explore key concepts of a safe workplace in the hospitality and service industry, including most common violations and guidance for limiting liability. Learn key principles of a safe workplace…
This training is full of demonstrations of the latest technological tools to get the most out this day of intensive learning. The technologies addressed are: Digital Content Management; Mobile Apps; The basics of hybrid meetings and the latest innovation; Co-creation; Participant involvement: how to make it really work. Discover practical techniques, formats, processes and tools that you can easily…
The meeting cycle looks a lot different than it did 10 years ago, and the challenges meeting professionals face continue to stymie their progress and impede the success of their events. But what does that mean to you, the supplier? It means that you are no longer being tasked with just providing a product, but…
AIPC’s most important annual event brings together CEO’s, senior level industry professionals and provocative keynote speakers in a focussed exchange dedicated specifically to the educational, networking and strategic planning needs of international convention centres. It is widely recognized for the priority it places on practical, insightful and industry-specific content on a global scale.
Join fellow senior executives in advancing your career to blend theory with experience and application of knowledge to help industry leaders thrive in a constantly changing environment. The CDME program focuses on vision, leadership, productivity and implementing business strategies.
The Association Meetings Programme is designed to informally network with ICCA Members and Association Executives and learn from each other and the top faculty of experts about bidding, designing, organising and promoting int’l association meetings.
Join the session to better understand how healthcare professionals decide whether or not to attend a professional meeting or event, and what meeting professionals can do to maximize upon the educational objectives of HCPs. Discover findings from recent research into why healthcare providers attend meetings and events; learn how maximizing content and networking at a medical…
The Fundamentals of Destination and Management is an interactive educational course focusing on evolving trends in the travel and tourism industry and marketplace and how Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO) successfully align with these changes. Key to this success are the operations of the DMO and its place within the travel and tourism industry.
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The World Education Congress is MPI’s signature event through which it delivers premier education, business and networking opportunities for meeting and event planners. Every programming decision MPI is making for #WEC18 is toward the goal of revitalizing you and the events you plan. From the keynotes to concurrent sessions; from the networking functions to the…
Global Exhibitions Day is a chance to celebrate the exhibition industry and highlight its positive impact on jobs, business, innovation and local investment. Online, and through an array of national and local events, people on every continent are expected to join the GED18 campaign, from venues and organisers to students, local partners and public authorities.
City Fair is a one day event of pre-scheduled appointments dedicated to the lucrative and growing sector of city tourism organised by ETOA and ECM. City Fair gives European destination suppliers the opportunity to meet selected travel buyers in a productive business environment. One-day B2B event of up to 32 pre-arranged one-to-one meetings. Unique format of targeted business workshop with marketing opportunities
European Cities Marketing will present a toploaded program for the ECM International Conference where Europe’s city marketers and tourism professionals meet industry thought leaders to debate and strategise the new normal in urban travel and tourism.
ibtm america is a 3 day event in North America focused on uniting US and international travel industry suppliers with highly qualified meeting and event planners. The turn-key pod format offers 1-to-1 meetings between suppliers and buyers, with appointments mutually matched to ensure all meetings are highly relevant.
The ICCA Central European Chapter meeting will take place in Wiesbaden, Germany from 20 – 22 June 2018. This is an annual meeting open to ICCA members and for non-members by invitation only. More information will soon be available.
No other event offers the same opportunity for client and supplier to meet face-to-face and discuss future co-operation in a tailor-made Workshop environment. Participating bureaux can promote their company and services to senior decision-makers who are actively looking for destinations.
Co-located with Asia’s largest business platform for MICE, experiential marketing and destination weddings industry, attend expert sessions featuring 100 global industry leaders as speakers; network with over 200 top marketers/corporates/brand representatives from Inida and Asia; meet 1000 top MICE and destination wedding planners; gain exclusive access to the glitziest awards ceremony in the experiential industry!
Destinations International’s Annual Convention provides an exclusive opportunity to connect peers and thought leaders from inside and outside the industry; an integrated approach to learning regardless of your budget size or discipline focus; recognition for our leaders and their accomplishments on behalf of the industry; relationship-based exchanges among industry providers, destination organizations and CVBs; diversity of thought by assembling the best minds…
World Meetings Forum is a dedicated space open for discussion and analysis of global trends, statics and the path for the Global MICE Industry including business exchange and networking moments. WMF puts all the effort to bring events that helps our industry to educate on all levels.
This event focuses on fostering long-term relationships among major MICE players, including pre-qualified buyers from North America, Europe and Asia, and leading Asia-Pacific based suppliers. Attendees will connect in pre-arranged one-to-one meetings, and through non-stop networking.
A special program to experience the best of the Rocky Mountain state. Attendees engage in a relaxed environment to discover new venues as they meet Colorado’s most prominent hotels/resorts, CVBs and unique venues.
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