PRESENTS
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Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory will host from 800 to 1,200 international delegates for the World Conference on Ecological Restoration in 2023. The meeeting, secured by NT Business Events, the Darwin Convention Centre and the Society of Ecological Restoration Australia, will leave an important legacy across the world’s damaged ecosystems. From AMI Intellectual Capitals..
The Quebec City Convention Centre has 24 national and international conferences on its books related to the life sciences and health technologies, a thriving sector in the Canadian city, between 2022 and 2025. Quebec’s life sciences industry employs 56,000 across 456 companies and is worth $5.8 billion. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
The Iceberg always enjoys meetings described with an iiceberg metaphor. But this time it is not the broader legacy benefits that are harder to see below the surface, but the tacit versus explicit knowledge imparted. German Convention Bureau MD Matthias Schultze discusses face-to-face and his hybrid BOCOM event. From Matthias Schultze via LinkedIn…
Last September, the “Incredible Impacts” programme run collaboratively by Iceberg partners ICCA and BestCities Global Alliance selected three winning associations for the meeting legacy projects they submitted. Each of the three had shown a dedication to creating legacies that went far beyond the conference walls. The three winners were: Ecocity Builders and the BCIT Ecocity…
The Japan Convention Bureau, working under the umbrella of the Japan National Tourism Organisation, went all-online for its annual event targeted at event planners, Meet Japan. The educational familiarisation trip showcased the 2017 18th World Congress on Lung Cancer in Yokohama, plus a virtual tour of Osaka, set to host Expo 2025. From Boardroom…
Confidence about recovery is revealed in Iceberg partner UFI’s latest Global Exhibition Barometer (see News and Research). But should rebuilding rely solely on rolling out COVID-19 vaccines, or also on advocacy that events can run safely and on “testing over quarantine”. UFI CEO Kai Hattendorf has been planning the months ahead. From Event MB…
This autumn the Global Forum of Iceberg partner BestCities Global Alliance returns in Madrid. Other major congresses are also heading to the Spanish capital, including World Blindness Summit, the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology and the Spanish Society of Stomatological Prosthesis. All are committed to leaving legacies. From BestCities Global Alliance…
The recent 59th Congress of the International Congress and Convention Association saw the creation via crowdsourcing of a framework document designed to let the international meetings industry thrive now and into the future. Named after the event’s host destination, the Kaohsiung Protocol is the Iceberg partner event’s major legacy outcome. A large number of attendees at…
A partnership between the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre and local scientific and industry leaders has secured 127 conferences for the city over ten years. BCEC’s conference ambassadors are recruited to win important meetings for the Queensland capital, including immunologist Professor Ian Frazer, who offers thoughts on COVID-19 vaccines. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
The congresses of the future need to have a positive, long-lasting impact at heart, not solely as a justification to travel and meet, but also to augment their contribution to stimulating and driving social and economic change. In order to achieve this, associations and destinations need concrete tools that can help them work strategically with…
It is time once again to grab your own little piece of The Iceberg! The call has just been issued for partners and ambassadors through 2021 and 2022. Iceberg Founder and Producer and James Latham believes sharing storytelling and advocacy is the best possible route to wider appreciation of the sector and its vital role in…
The 59th ICCA Congress in Kaohsiung is to showcase a unique and hybrid hub-and-spoke model, with regional events across the globe coinciding with the main congress and sharing the experience for those unable to attend it. The locations include the main host destination, along with Kuching, Cape Town, Luxembourg, Malaga and Riyadh. An all-virtual option is…
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Glasgow Convention Bureau is offering an interactive workshop to help planners in hosting sustainable meetings as part of the People Make Glasgow Green Strategy. Aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Go Greener in Glasgow initiative comes as the city readies for UN climate change conference COP26. From Association Meetings International…
A convention centre has reopened after a €170 million refurbishment. Hungexpo Budapest now stretches over 70,000 square metres, making it the largest facility of its type across Central Eastern Europe. A new entry lobby, two new exhibition halls and a new congress centre are part of the makeover. From Association Meetings International…
Vaccinated passengers will be able to travel from the EU and UK to the US from November 8th, the Biden administration has said, marking the end of the eighteen-month blanket ban on travel. The US’s loosening of these travel restrictions is a crucial milestone in the recovery of global events. From Conference & Meetings World…
The latest UK Conference and Meeting Survey throws into stark relief the huge toll of the pandemic upon the industry. The 28th annual UKCAMS report shows a drop of 86 percent in 2020-held conferences and meetings compared with 2019. The estimated sector value fell from £17.6 billion to £1.7 billion. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Incredible Impacts, the joint initiative from the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and BestCities Global Alliance, both of them Iceberg partners, has awarded three associations which have left lasting legacies of social advances. The European AIDS Clinical Society, The Garden of Hope Foundation, and Women Deliver are this year’s winners. From Conference & Meetings World…
The global meetings industry is being urged to join together in an historic pledge to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. JMIC (Joint Meetings Industry Council), which presents The Iceberg, has launched an initiative called Net Zero Carbon Events to connect the industry to the growing movement to radically reduce emissions. From Association Meetings International…
Business events companies in Italy could have some of their COVID-19 losses returned under a €520 million compensation scheme to which EU competition watchdogs have given the nod. The European Commission has approved the funding package, intended to compensate companies in the trade fair and congress sector. From Association Meetings International…
You are far less likely to contract COVID-19 at a business event than during grocery shopping, according to a study. Infection rates across US business events were as much as 95 percent lower than the average, and the risk at events up to eight times less than out in the host city. From Association Meetings International…
Association meeting planners are eager to return to in person events according to a recent report. The Business Events Consumer Demand Project from Tourism Australia found that nearly half of their association respondents, or 45 percent, had held meetings over the past ten months, including those with delegates attending on site. From Association Meetings International…
Liverpool has now become the first English city to join Iceberg partner the Global Destination Sustainability Index. The announcement comes after Liverpool declared a climate emergency in 2019. The imminent opening of the city’s new carbon conscious venue the Spine will also add to the city’s sustainable efforts. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Bangkok’s largest convention centre, Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, will reopen in September 2022 with a capacity for 100,000 visitors a day. Following investment of 15 billion Thai Baht ($455 million), the new QSNCC will be reopening with five times the amount of space it previously had (now 78,500 square metres). From Association Meetings international…
In a first for Malaysia, Sarawak has now joined the Global Destination Sustainability Index for Business Events and Tourism, by launching the GDSI Partnership Programme Sarawak Region. Kuching city has been selected as the pilot project, putting it among 75 destinations signed up to the Iceberg partner. From Conference & Meetings World…
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This project collected, analysed and synthesised the findings of all prior Joint Meetings Industry Council Case Studies to deliver a verdict on the broader contributions that conferences, congresses, trade shows, convention centres and bureaux deliver to destinations, communities, industries and economies. The cases were drawn from four continents: Europe, Asia, South America and Australia. The…
The China-LAC Summit is an annual meeting 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 in Uruguay hosted the 11th edition of the…
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…
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…
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…
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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Iceberg partner UFI, global association of the exhibition industry, has released a new report on the status of sustainability in the exhibition industry, including results from surveys conducted by UFI research partner Explori. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has severely hit the economy, the fundamentals remain, and sustainability is a strong priority for exhibitions and…
This study is based on a global survey, concluded in July 2021. It represents up-to-date information on the development and outlook of the global exhibition industry as well as on 28 markets and regions. Global Exhibition Barometer 27th Edition (June 2021) (UFI website) Global Exhibition Industry Sentiment Expected Developments 2021 – 2022 Infographic (UFI website)…
The pandemic offers an opportunity for the business events industry to reinvent itself, according to a recently published white paper jointly presented by PCMA, Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau, Singapore Tourism Board, and Iceberg partner UFI, global association of the exhibition industry. But the paper, Reimagining Business Events Through COVID-19 and Beyond doesn’t make light of…
World of Concrete 2021 from June 7th to 10th attracted over 58,000 registered professionals and hosted more than 1,564 leading industry suppliers across more than 746,000 net square feet of exhibit space at the Las Vegas Convention Center, according to lasvegashowto.com. Other estimates put that number closer to 30,000, but one thing is true. With…
The past year has transformed the way the international association meetings industry does business. As a result, the International Congress and Convention Association has also reinvented its 2020 ICCA Statistics Report on the association meetings market. The Iceberg partner has prepared this latest iteration of the study with a more holistic and accurate representation of the…
In a surprise move, just days before PCMA invited the business events community to participate in its May COVID-19 Recovery Dashboard, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that fully vaccinated individuals no longer had to wear masks outdoors and indoors, except in hospitals, on public transit and other specified places. CDC’s latest…
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The pandemic has given convention bureaux a fresh chance to partner with their economic development agencies to benefit the destination over the short and long term in new and often fruitful ways. In fact, this is one of three central trends identified in the DestinationNEXT 2021 Futures Study just released. From PCMA…
Cancelling in person meetings has forced association planners to tear up the script over the last eighteen months. But what will happen next? In this launch of a series of quarterly summits, expert panellists discuss questions most asked about the future of association meetings. James Lancaster hosts. From Association Meetings International…
Nearly all healthcare practitioners list “high-quality content” as their most important factor in deciding whether to attend virtual events. So says an updated survey from Kenes Group. But fewer HCPs are now able to take time off for such events, and more say fees should be half those of in person meetings. From PCMA…
Journalist Holly Patrick’s recent fam trip to Madrid came with a carbon dioxide footprint of 241.8kg, also equivalent to charging up a phone 29,000 times. So how did she offset the environmental price tag of flying there, and what options are available for event attendees with carbon on their conscience? From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
With ongoing cases of COVID-19, full federal approval of the Pfizer vaccine, and new federal vaccine mandates covering workers, more associations are considering adding a vaccine mandate to their in person events. Here’s what organisers need to know about legal considerations, about verifying vaccination, as well as about state mandate bans. From Associations Now…
Postponed a few times for obvious reasons after having been staged online in 2020, the GIAF (Geneva International Association Forum) was the first physical association event of the kind post-lockdown. Delegates were certainly happy to be together again seeing old friends and making new ones. But the event program also didn’t disappoint. From Boardroom…
Michelle Mason heads up Iceberg partner ASAE as President and CEO. After she “stumbled into association management”, as a temporary staff assistant at what is now called the American Chemistry Council, Mason has climbed the ranks, transforming any barriers into opportunities and using her platform to raise others who are underrepresented. From PCMA…
Business and Events Academy Creator Nadia Rubtsova once worked for the European Health Management Association. Back in 2019, the scientific conference of EHMA was taking place in Espoo, Finland. After a year of hard work, the organiser’s guiding Northern stars for the meeting’s three days and 350 delegates were legacy, community and impact. From Boardroom…
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society held its 2021 Global Health Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas with a vaccine mandate. The event drew over 700 exhibitors and close to 19,000 in person delegates by the end, with almost as many attending online. Here’s more on how HIMSS managed the vaccine policy. From PCMA…
An exploration of how the COVID crisis has impacted the meetings industry, Iceberg partner Maritz Global Events’ five-part podcast “Events UnPaused”, presented by President David Peckinpaugh, is chock-full of insights. The final episode is called “The Future of Events and Where the Industry Is Going”. From PCMA…
The 60th Annual ICCA Congress will take the global association meetings industry to Cartagena in Colombia under the banner “Forward to our Future”. The Iceberg partner event established the Kaohsiung Protocol (pictured), a framework document for the industry, in 2020, and 2021 maintains a collaborative approach to reinventing business operations. From the Event…
The intersecting crises of the pandemic, climate change and increasing inequality are compelling associations to repurpose and serve not just their members but society itself as well. This includes making commitments about sustainability, ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) and the UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). From Boardroom…
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THIS IS NOT A TOURISM CONFERENCE. Why? Because the future of tourism is about much more than tourism – and with this conference, European Cities Marketing in association with Group NAO invites ECM members, destination and tourism professionals to seek above and beyond tourism to inspire our industry’s future. We want to remind ourselves to…
(For AIPC members only) Leading Change By Design: Mobilizing Your Team to Great Performance: The Leadership deep dive training is designed to help senior management gain insights and practical tools to use as they lead their people and influence those outside their organization through this time of great change. The content addresses two critical components of successful…
Delivered by a faculty of industry experts, the UFI-EMS will combine both global insights and regional expertise – following the clearly articulated need for education that adapts a global curriculum to the specific regional and local needs. The curriculum was developed jointly with the UFI community, making it a programme designed by exhibition organisers for exhibition organisers.
Open to everyone coming to IMEX America, this is your opportunity to immerse yourself in a full day of free education and networking before the show opens. From the headline keynote through in-depth deep dives to practical workshops, our expert-led education program is focused on your professional development. Powered by MPI, our strategic partner and premier education provider and supported…
ICCA is proud to be launching this certification programme for its membership and the industry to meet the challenges of the need for new business models, enhanced professionalism and standards in the industry. With courses beginning in the first quarter of 2022, ICCA will grant recognition to an industry professional who has met certain predetermined…
The current raging of the COVID-19 virus across the globe has already had enormous consequences for the Meetings Industry. It poses however, a whole different challenge for newly-appointed professionals in our industry whether working in CVBs, hotels, venues, PCOs all over Europe. Indeed, they are currently missing out on being at these central platforms, which are…
This interactive crisis management workshop aims to help participants prepare for a smooth, successful venue reopening period. For many facilities and their management, challenges around changing reopening requirements, national vaccination programs, mutations of the Covid virus, stakeholder concerns, and media attention combine to give cause for concern around the time period in which reopening ‘towards…
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,…
UFI connects is a way to stay connected, to get through this pandemic, and to be ready for the time afterwards. It is a programme of regular talks, panels, and webinar sessions – organized by the UFI team for you. Recordings of previous sessions are available to view.
We have created a library of resources to not only help you through COVID-19 but also to ensure that you’re ready to get back to face-to-face business on the other side. Because there will be another side. You’ll find webinars and videos from key industry professionals, providing you with the great insights you need to keep…
These education materials have been created to help #eventprofs take into consideration human rights and child rights when planning an event – Understanding Human Rights; UN Guiding Principles on Human and Business Rights, SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions; How to Talk to Management about Human Rights; 6 top tips on planning an event…
Get access to 5 webinars covering the future of events across 2021. Each webinar costs £15 so this offer will save you over 30%. 100% of the £50 will go towards funding the Climate Action Framework for the event sector.
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ICCA Iberian Chapter is providing a great opportunity for members in the region to share experiences and best practices amongst each other. The Next Chapter Annual Meeting will take place in Palma de Mallorca, Spain on 13-15 October 2021. The event is open to all ICCA members and for non-members by invitation only.
The 60th ICCA Congress will be held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia from 24 – 27 October 2021. More information will be available at a later stage.
European Cities Marketing, through its TIC Knowledge Group, organises every year an Expert Meeting for Tourist Information Centres managers and staff exclusively, whether they are ECM members or not. This event will provide you with a unique opportunity to meet and network with colleagues working in Tourist Information Centres all across Europe, to share knowledge and best…
(Open to UFI members only.) UFI’s annual Global Congress is known as 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 industry trends and challenges that the exhibition industry is currently…
Beyond a trade show, we offer brilliant speakers, fresh ideas and continuous inspiration at 180-plus educational and networking events over four days. Meet 4,200-plus global decision makers with real buying power in one of the biggest meetings markets in the world; 3,500-plus exhibitors from 155 countries; countless opportunities to connect – from the glamour of…
ICCA Members, who are exhibiting at IMEX America are invited, free of charge, to attend the IMEX Association Evening. This event is organised by IMEX in collaboration with ICCA. ICCA will also have a stand and member reception at this tradeshow.
IBTM World is the leading global event for the meetings and events industry and we have one goal; we want to inspire the events world to deliver exceptional experiences. For over 30 years, IBTM World has been providing the global community with the inspiration, business connections and content you need to create world-class events for…
(By invitation only) The Global CEO Summit, the GCS, is one of UFI’s most prestigious events and takes place each year the last week of January or the first week of February. It serves as the exhibition industry’s annual curtain raiser event for the most senior executives worldwide. It offers top-level content, dialogues, and excellent…
IBTM Asia Pacific is the leading event for the meetings and events industry in the region bringing together a high calibre group of international, APAC regional and local meeting planners and exhibitors for two days of pre-scheduled one-to-one business meetings, education and networking. The event is under-pinned by IBTM’s sophisticated, industry-leading Hosted Buyer programme which…
The worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events. Expect expert speakers, brand-new ideas and plentiful inspiration at 250-plus educational and networking events – and an exhilarating exhibition. Whether you want to keep up with fast-changing event trends, explore event tech, polish your professional skills or connect with your peers, our groundbreaking programme has it…
The UFI European Conference is a must-attend event for exhibition industry professionals who work internationally. This event provides industry updates and insights from across the region.
The small workshop is open to all European members of the destination marketing sector who are interested in attracting smaller conferences to their destination. In order to be fair and give as many European destination marketing sector members as possible the opportunity to attend an ICCA Business Workshop, priority will be given to members who…
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Lesley joined BestCities in 2017 as Market Development Director and took up the position of Managing Director in January 2020 following the decision of BestCities to award extending the management contract to GainingEdge. Lesley is a strong supporter and advocate of the beyond tourism impacts of meetings. In 2017 BestCities formed a collaboration with ICCA…
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Sven joined AIPC as CEO in May 2020. Together with the Board, the Members and the Business Partners he will be spearheading a transformation programme which will result into an entirely new value proposal to Convention and Exhibition Centres across the globe based on the changing needs of the members and the challenges they are…
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Having lived and worked in Asia, Africa and Europe before moving to Canada in 2010, Virginie is the Senior Director of Business Development – Economic Sectors for Destination Canada Business Events (DCBE), Virginie is responsible for leading the development and implementation of DCBE’s global economic sector strategy and team to increase overnight visitations to Canada…
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Born in Toronto, Canada, Greg has divided his life between living in Calgary, Toronto and Ottawa. With now more than 20 years in the hospitality industry Greg has spent time in Management of a high end independent mountain resort property (The Rimrock Resort), Hyatt Hotels and the Intercontinental group before moving over to convention centers….
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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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At MCEC, we’re passionate about creating inspirational environments. We do this by delivering a personalised service and partnering with our customers to offer ideas, insights and imaginative solutions. We tailor every experience because we realise it’s the little details that make all the difference. Our people are at the heart of who we are and…
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Robin has over 25 years’ experience of the events industry with the last 20 focussed on the convention sector. His career in business events has led him from the SECC in Glasgow to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), where he has spent the last seven years diversifying and growing the venue’s conference and…
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Aileen has worked in the meetings industry for over 20 years. Initially in venue sales for Glasgow Museums, then in a variety of roles within the Conventions team at the Tourist Board, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and is currently the Head of Conventions at Glasgow Convention Bureau. Aileen is an English and History graduate from…
A Scot based in Sweden who loves life in the Nordics. Her expertise is based on 20 years of experience across the meetings industry. Over this time she has been fortunate to have gained wonderful experience and friends from working for some great hotels, a convention centre, a destination marketing organisation, a PCO before spending…
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As Senior Advocacy & Industry Relations Manager, Natasha oversees all industry partnerships and association education at both IMEX shows. In 2016, in addition to her existing responsibilities she took the helm of the IMEX Policy Forum and assumed her current advocacy role. In this role she works closely with the UNWTO (the United Nations World…
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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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Based in The Netherlands, Ben Goedegebuure serves as global general manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Maritz Global Events. In his role, Ben provides counsel and supports global strategic solutions for clients, and contributes to the company’s business development, industry presence and thought leadership efforts. In addition, he oversees the Maritz Global…
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