PRESENTS
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Business and professional events are key to economic and social transformation. South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, Derek Hanekom, confirmed as much at Meetings Africa 2019, held recently in Sandton, Johannesburg. Minister Hanekom acknowledged the contribution to tourism numbers from business events but emphasised that the legacies of events in healthcare and economic development were where…
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A recent trip to Guadalajara, Mexico, including both The Iceberg and its partner Boardroom, revealed a lot about this emerging conference destination. Also visiting the Jalisco state capital and life sciences hub of Latin America was Professor Bettina Borisch, Executive Director of the World Federation of Public Health Associations. From Boardroom…
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For destinations with industrial roots that have since evolved into innovation-based economies, showcasing a revamped identity not only helps to correct outdated perceptions but is also key to drawing in the right groups, for instance associations. Former Rust Belt cities Cleveland, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Cincinnati have all reinvented their economies. From PCMA…
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The Event Africa, in partnership with The Iceberg, presents a case study on the Tanzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center. GICEC capitalises on its intellectual resources and has purpose-built a venue to serve local industry by enabling trade on a global platform. This includes GICEC’s Robotation Academy, housed on site. From the Event…
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First announced in February, the #MEET4IMPACT Project is the brainchild of Geneviève Leclerc, Founder of Caravelle Strategies. Along with several partners, the initiative is creating a framework to support the generation and measurement of association meetings’ social impacts. More details have now been unveiled about the approaches being taken. From Boardroom…
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The creation of La Nuvola Convention Centre, also called The Cloud, has lifted Rome’s appeal as a meetings destination. Despite its much-criticised spiralling costs, construction taking eight years to complete at a cost of €239 million, it’s estimated that the centre could generate between €300 and €400 million annually within five years. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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The artist Paul Klee suffered and eventually died from scleroderma. The wasting disease remains rare, and used to be addressed only on the fringes of larger rheumatology conferences. Then the World Scleroderma Foundation and PCO AIM Group International partnered to launch the Systemic Sclerosis World Congress, a meeting that emphasises patient participation. From PCMA…
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Thailand’s aspiration to become a leading pharmaceutical destination has received a shot in the arm with the country recently hosting the CPhI Southeast Asia trade show. Organiser UBM brought the event to Bangkok for the first time in conjunction with the Thai Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association and Board of Investment. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
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Quebec’s forestry is both extremely beautiful, especially in Autumn, and also a major resource and industry for the region. Now the province is building on sector innovation to host Woodrise 2019, the second world congress on midrise and tall wood buildings. The event should attract over 1,000 international construction professionals. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
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Imagine a place where strong African culture meets modern urban life, and where years of troubled history have given way to cosmopolitan regeneration. Add in a pioneering new venue like the Kigali Convention Centre, and welcome to the capital of Rwanda, “land of a thousand hills”, in central East Africa. From Boardroom…
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The launch of business events by industry can make a significant contribution to the growth strategies of cities and states. In 2015 Aloysius Arlando, Chief Executive of SingEx Holdings, co-created the Singapore Fintech Festival as Asia’s hub for the intersection of its finance and tech sectors. The legacies of this event launch with partners including…
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Once famous for ship and train making, Scotland is now building rockets and satellites. Sutherland, the first spaceport in mainland Europe, will soon see its first launches. VisitScotland recently held INNOVATESPACE at the University of St Andrews, right after Data Space 2019 was held at the Technology & Innovation Centre in Glasgow. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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Organisers have unveiled a sneak peek of the Dubai Exhibition Centre, set to host the six-month-long World Expo 2020 from October next year. Other legacy constructions that were built for the sole purpose of hosting the World Expo include Paris’ Eiffel Tower, London’s Crystal Palace and Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building. From Association Meetings International…
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The Greek capital is targeting small and medium-sized international conventions with “know-how and financial resources”. So said Alexis Galinos, MD of ADDMA (the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency), at the 9th Hellenic Association of Professional Congress Organisers conference. Athens is currently 26th in ICCA city rankings. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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400 participants from 40 countries have gathered in Madrid for the World Hospital at Home Congress, the first event of its kind. Dr. Bruce Allen Leff, the event co-chair, said: “We talked a lot about the HaH community that this meeting has helped to build, but with this congress, we became a tribe”. From PCMA…
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ACC Liverpool has confirmed a series of conferences returning to the venue after signing multi-year deals. Insurance buyers association Airmic recently confirmed, signing a four year deal over the next twelve years, taking its congress to 2031. The British Equine Veterinary Association has also signed a two year deal for 2022 and 2024. From Association Meetings International…
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The GSMA Mobile 360 Series – Eurasia conference, a regional event run by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association, will be held in Moscow later this year. It follows last year’s successful debut in the same city, which gathered more than 600 attendees, over half of them director-level or above. From Association Meetings International…
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Hamburg will be hosting the 2022 conference of the International Society for Hydrocephalus and Cerebrospinal Fluid Disorders. The meeting win underpins the city’s reputation as an intellectual capital for medical congresses. Hamburg’s large healthcare cluster includes companies, universities, research and training institutions, hospitals, and insurance funds. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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Maputo is getting ready to host the upcoming Mozambique Ports and Rail Evolution Forum 2019. The meeting joins two others in transport already taking place in Africa, with dmg events growing its portfolio in the sector. Mozambique is expected to be investing more than $13bn into port, railway and corridor infrastructure development. From the Event…
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An international conference on the buying and selling of endangered animals and plants has been postponed following the Easter Sunday terror attacks in Sri Lanka. CoP18, or the 18th Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, was to have taken place from May into June in Colombo. From Association Meetings International…
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The Easter Sunday bomb attacks carried out in Sri Lanka have “directly implicated” International Congress and Convention Association hotel members, according to ICCA CEO, Sri Lanka-born Senthil Gopinath. As a gesture of solidarity, Gopinath has announced that ICCA will pay its respects to the victims during a chapter meeting at IMEX Frankfurt. From Association Meetings International…
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The Palais des congrès de Montréal has announced that it is joining the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As well as making daily efforts to reduce its environmental footprint, the venue has also become one of the first centres in the Americas to say its building will be going carbon neutral. From Boardroom…
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For the first time, the total economic impact of exhibitions around the world has been calculated by Iceberg partner UFI, the industry’s global association. With an output of $325 billion in business sales every year, the sector matches many industries, and ranks equal to the 56th largest economy in the world. From the Event…
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Six bomb attacks on Easter Sunday may have destroyed a decade of economic recovery in Sri Lanka that was largely reliant on tourism. The attacks left 253 people dead (revised Ministry figure), with several hundred injured, at churches and five-star hotels. As a result, venues and inbound DMCs have been deluged with cancellations. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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The EuroHeartCare conference is one of the most important platforms for driving research publications, exchanging ideas, and forming and deepening collaborations within the field of cardiovascular nursing in Europe. It aims to support healthcare professionals in delivering the best care possible to patients with cardiovascular disease. The 2017 edition was hosted by Jönköping University in…
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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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Omnipress recently conducted an online survey of 150 association and event professionals. The results have been compiled and published in the fifth annual State of the Conference Industry Report, which tracks the evolution of educational content and the role it plays at the annual conference. Educational content provides significant value to association members in 2019….
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To quantify the economic significance of exhibitions globally, Oxford Economics has prepared a comprehensive model of global exhibitions activity that references recent studies on their economic significance. The results of this study show the scope of the global exhibition sector in terms of direct spending and jobs, as well as the total impacts of exhibitions…
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This study is based on a global survey, concluded in January 2019. It represents up to date information on the development and the outlook of the global exhibition industry as well as on 19 specific countries and zones. Global Exhibition Barometer 22nd Edition (January 2019)
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Universal Accessibility in Meetings is a research study conducted by GainingEdge, in collaboration with project partners BestCities Global Alliance and Rehabilitation International. The goal of this research project is to promote awareness among meeting organisers and the supplier community on the need to remove barriers in meetings and conventions for delegates with disabilities. The study…
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A new index which ranks cities in terms of their competitive strength for attracting international conventions was launched at the 57th ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) Congress 2018. The index scores cities based on their strengths in relation to eleven key drivers that GainingEdge says influence association decision-making during destination selection processes. The first…
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Tourism continues to dominate Asia Pacific’s travel industry, but the corporate incentive travel segment, already representing a quarter of the global travel industry, continues to make steady gains. The Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) partnered with PCMA Education Foundation to commission a research project to help APAC region meeting planners understand what is driving this expanding…
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Jack Sim founded the World Toilet Organisation in 2001 as the global voice of toilets and the sanitation agenda. Its aim is to break taboos over a hard-to-discuss subject and also to engineer a massive legacy: addressing the crisis of 2.6 billion people living without clean toilets and hygienic sewage treatment. From BestCities Global Alliance…
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Lyn Lewis-Smith, CEO of Business Events Sydney, recently joined a Trans-Tasman Business Circle’s #womenintechontour visiting San Francisco and Silicon Valley to gather intelligence on the skills and talent attraction strategies of US multinational corporations. Global meeting attendees present a ripe opportunity that is currently being overlooked. From Lyn Lewis-Smith via LinkedIn…
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The recent terror attacks in Sri Lanka have devastated a country enjoying resurgent tourism since the end of civil war a decade ago. It is crucial that the international community, especially in incentive travel, does not abandon the destination. Rajeev Kohli is joint MD of Creative Travel DMC, which has operations in Sri Lanka. From PCMA…
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Recently almost sixty incentive travel professionals took planes, trains and automobiles from sixteen countries to Verbier, Switzerland, to attend the inaugural Society of Incentive Travel Excellence’s SITE Incentive Summit Europe. SITE’s Chief Marketing Officer now reports on the four day alpine excursion of connections, education and destination discovery. From SoolNua’s Pádraic Gilligan at Padraicino…
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How do you create a cohesive community right across a global profession? Tracy Bury is Deputy Chief Executive of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy. Her portfolio includes the WCPT Congress, which in 2017 won the association an inaugural “Incredible Impacts” grant for its commitment to creating legacy. From BestCities Global Alliance…
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As event organisers attract bigger audiences, they can outgrow the centres that once hosted them. But expansion of those venues is a tall order since most involve public funding. Getting buy-in for major investment may mean navigating a complex political maze, wrangling support, and explaining why a centre matters to a city’s economy. From PCMA…
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Big association conferences are often regarded as being at the very centre of the events universe, with long lead times and high returns, both in prestige and legacy. But professional congress organisers also create original events, like Kenes Group’s recent and “tribal” World Hospital at Home Congress (pictured). From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
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A global initiative to address plastic use at events has just been launched by Iceberg partner Positive Impact, supported by the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The campaign is collecting usage data as well as encouraging the switch to alternative materials, and began when the two organisations’ CEOs met at a conference. From PCMA…
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School computer labs across rural Sarawak, Malaysia, will be benefitting after convention organisers and their delegates complete surveys from the Sarawak Convention Bureau. Sarawak CB will be making a donation for each returned form to the Chumbaka Junior Innovate Fund. By Jane Vong Holmes, Senior Manager Asia, at Iceberg Partner GainingEdge (second left). Many of the world’s…
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In advance of the Business Visits and Events Focus North conference in Leeds, organiser John Gallery has been making the case that the north of England offers meetings industry planners good value for money. Some of the region’s destination marketing organisations are also aligning economic development ambitions with events in target sectors. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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The Associations World Congress has just taken place in Gothenburg, Sweden. After an opening forum for medical associations, with a keynote on collaboration from Volvo, a new format encouraged delegates to move freely between content streams. Highlights included sessions about governance, communications and also the association of the future. From Boardroom…
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No convention bureau would be seen dead without a conference ambassador programme. But why are they important? Here’s a round up from Edinburgh, where budget cuts recently threatened the very existence of its ambassadors, to Glasgow, Dubai, Montreal (whose ambassador gala awards is pictured), Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto and Korea. From Association Meetings International…
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Exhibitions are competitive. Only exhibition of the highest quality will successfully attract international exhibitors and visitors. UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, working with the University of Cooperative Education in Ravensburg, Germany, has created the “Exhibition Management Degree (EMD)” to train exhibition industry professionals to meet tomorrow’s event management demands.
The ISU is aimed at professionals working within the trade fair industry and provides an interactive educational platform for the exchange of strategic and operational knowledge. Industry professionals from around the world form a learning community to discuss themes that are critical to the success of the industry. Gain an overview of present market trends in…
Exhibitions are competitive. Only exhibition of the highest quality will successfully attract international exhibitors and visitors. UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, working with the University of Cooperative Education in Ravensburg, Germany, has created the “Exhibition Management Degree (EMD)” to train exhibition industry professionals to meet tomorrow’s event management demands.
The ECM Summer School is an unmissable learning opportunity for all professionals working in Convention Bureaux, Tourist Offices, Congress Centres, Airlines, Hotels, DMCs, PCOs & Meeting Planners! The aim is to equip professionals with the latest marketing tools and to help them to develop the knowledge and skills required for a successful career in conference,…
Brilliant speakers, fresh ideas and continuous inspiration at 180-plus educations events over four days. Whether you want to tap into event tech, polish your professional skills, spark your imagination at a ground-breaking keynote, or connect with your peers, our unique and free program has it covered.
The 15th TourMIS Users’ Workshop and International Seminar is organised by the European Travel Commission, European Cities Marketing & MODUL University Vienna on September 12-13, 2019. Both events are directed toward managers, academics, as well as consultants and representatives of governments and international organisations dealing with tourism. Participants are invited to register for both days or can choose to participate…
The FYP brings together 35 young industry professionals from a diverse array of backgrounds. Over 3 days, the selected applicants are given networking opportunities, educational sessions, social activities and guidance worth their weights in gold from some of the most influential meetings industry figures. Participants will complete the FYP with a wealth of knowledge, a…
Mark Your IBTM World Calender Now for the 2019 Edition of AIPC’s Facility Operations Summit. This is one of the only opportunities in the industry for those representing the critical area of centre operation to build beneficial networks, strategize on issues of common concern and explore how improving interactions amongst centre managers can increase centre…
Insights, ‘EdgyThinking’ and Case Studies… As a leader in the international business events market we offer access to benchmark performance data and best practices from around the world. We bring the expertise of a diverse group of professionals comprising business events market expertise, convention bureau operational expertise, business development expertise as well as convention centre…
Maritz Global Events’ resource library gives industry professionals the latest insights about solving their greatest challenges; experts share their insights on the value of face-to-face meetings and events, the journey to take your event global, and the power of experience design thinking.
Access our free library of industry-leading templates and checklists to guide you through every stage of your international conference planning. Read the latest industry trends, opinion pieces and best-practice guides to shaping international events, straight from some of the world’s foremost experts. Read the latest industry trends, opinion pieces and best-practice guides to shaping international events,…
On International Women’s Day, don’t miss our webinar! Positive Impacts Girls Creating Campaign exists to inspire girls to be limitless in the creation of their careers. According to a Unicef gender equality report “By the time children reach 10 boys world’s often expand while girls world’s contract.” and Positive Impact is passionate about using the…
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IBTM Americas is the leading international trade show that connects the meetings and events industry across North America, Latin America, Europe and beyond. Our purpose is to inspire you to deliver exceptional experiences through your meetings and events. Inspiring business success • Inspiring future thinking • Inspiring people
Excellent speakers, presenters, challengers, motivators, thinkers, leaders, experts, gurus, talents and DMO professionals with inspirational insights, passions, and learnings to share, on the overall theme of trends and technology in urban travel and tourism likely to change and challenge the business of DMOs.
During the workshop, the participating clients get the opportunity to meet people from a minimum of nine or a maximum of fourteen other bureaux. They make initial contact with the sales team as well as learn the suitability (or otherwise) of the destinations in a way that would otherwise have been time consuming and would have…
City Fair is the event for European cities, destinations and suppliers to showcase all of their tourism products to the international travel trade in a productive business environment. Join over 150 European cities, destinations and their partners, showcasing their tourism offering to over 100 city break product developers & buyers from international markets. City Fair is a 3-day event organised by ETOA and ECM…
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 international association meetings.
The Annual Conference brings together members to consider key industry issues and hear from top professionals in a variety of related fields. The General Assembly is the business session where AIPC executives and staff provide reports and outline the program of activity for the organization.
This is the modern way to engage with customers through creative and interactive learning and teamwork. No more boring forums, no more endless one-on-one sales pitches, this is the way to inform, educate and build relationships in a fun and professional environment. The M&IT Agency Challenge brings together suppliers and senior personnel from leading agencies…
Brought to you by the most experienced name in MICE exhibitions, IBTM provides a gateway to the Chinese and Asia Pacific meetings, events and incentives market with IBTM China. Our aim is to immerse you in a community that, through networking, education and career development, will leave you inspired to create better events for better business.
The ICCA Central European Chapter meeting will take place in Belgrade, Serbia from 29 – 31 August 2019. This is an annual meeting open to ICCA members and for non-members by invitation only. More information will be available soon.
Learn, network, connect with the global meetings industry. Inspirational exhibitors, fresh ideas from experts and innovators, countless networking opportunities—this is where you need to be. If you’re a meeting and events professional, you’ll find all the suppliers you need for your events—from new venues in major cities across the world to the latest event tech providers.
Open to UFI members only, UFI’s annual Global Congress is known as the “must attend” event for all industry professionals and is the exhibition industry’s largest global meeting of the year, combining international networking with unique content. It is an ideal opportunity for members to gain insight into topics of strategic interest, on the current…
UFI’s annual European Conference will be held in Goteborg (Sweden) in 2020. The conference is the most international gathering of 200+ European exhibition industry leaders, and it is also attended by colleagues from Asia and the Americas. This event is geared towards providing industry updates and insights from across the region, combined with quality networking…
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A founding member of ICC Sydney’s leadership team, Sam developed the communications and marketing strategies that have resulted in establishing one of the business events industry’s strongest brands. Story-telling, building emotional connection and strong stakeholder engagement have been core to ICC Sydney’s successful brand development throughout its pre-opening, launch and operational phases. Sam steered the…
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Geoff Donaghy is CEO of Australia’s premier convention, exhibition and entertainment venue, ICC Sydney, which since its opening has been successfully attracting local, national and international visitors with its focus on high quality events, local produce and commitment to service excellence. He is also the Director of Convention Centres for leading venue management specialists, AEG…
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Director of Tourism, Conventions and Major Events, Tracy Halliwell joined London & Partners from Visit London, the capital’s global marketing organisation. At London & Partners, Tracy heads up London’s Tourism division, managing the event solutions team and a proactive global sales team focused on attracting discretionary business, cultural & sporting events to the capital. At…
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With 32 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Schirmacher leads Experient’s strategic plan development and implementation, as well as industry presence for Maritz Global Events. He was awarded the company’s highest honor, the Pinnacle Award, in 2005, and was inducted into the Colorado Meetings Hall of Fame in 2011 with the Lifetime Achievement Award….
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Carina entered the meetings industry in 2002 as Marketing and Operations Director for IMEX in Frankfurt and part of the original launch team for the exhibition. Following the expansion of the IMEX brand into America in 2009, Carina was appointed CEO of the IMEX Group. In this role, Carina is responsible for all aspects of the business. Throughout…
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A specialized journalist in the association management field, Remi has been active in the meetings industry for more than 10 years. Together with Cecile Koch, he launched Boardroom in 2017, a niche publication specialized in association management and events. Boardroom covers a wide spectrum of issues of interest to associations based globally and is specifically targeting association…
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Flavie Baudot has more than 15 years’ experience in the Tourism and Meetings Industry. She began her career with diverse experiences in customer relations in the insurance and hospitality sectors and then decided to specialise in tourism, mixing her avid passion for international relations, people and cultures. Having graduated in Tourism Management and Culture in…
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Ajay, who is from Indian origin has been residing in the Middle East for over 20 years and been involved in organizing meetings in emerging markets for the past 15+ years as well as working with associations in defining and implementing strategies in global expansion. With an MBA in marketing, a degree in software engineering…
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Melissa Riley serves as the Vice President of Convention Sales and Services at Destination DC, the official convention and tourism corporation for the nation’s capital. A 20-year veteran of the travel and hospitality industry, Riley leads a team of more than 30 who work in concert to generate a positive economic impact for the District….
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Jane Vong Holmes is Senior Manager – Asia of GainingEdge, GainingEdge, a consultancy specialising in the business events industry since 2004, and a proud Partner of The Iceberg. Jane has been part of the consulting team on several GainingEdge projects in Asia, working with bureaus, tourism offices and convention centres in Hangzhou, Japan, Malaysia, South…
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Born in Barcelona (Spain), Oscar Cerezales has been working in the meetings industry for more than 25 years. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Trustees for PCMA, Chair of the ICESAP Advisory Board and member of the Scientific Board for the Latin American Association of Convention Bureaus. In the past Oscar has…
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Heike Mahmoud, born in 1964, became Chief Operating Officer (COO) of CCH – Congress Center Hamburg, a business unit of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH, on March 1st, 2018. As fully authorized officer, the business administration professional is also a member of the Executive Board of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH. Heike Mahmoud has been…
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