PRESENTS
Showing Featured Features
View all Features
From Boardroom: Sven Bossu, CEO of AIPC, the international association of convention centres, contends that strategic partnerships enable organizations, even if they’re small, to ‘punch above their weight’: We just had our first ever local AIPC Academy at the MTCC in Toronto, organized in close collaboration with the Convention Centers of Canada (CCoC). It is…
From Meetings International: In 2019, the Netherlands delivered a new vision for meetings and conventions put together by many people in and outside the industry. Conclusion: The triple helix approach of business events for the nation’s key sectors is essential. By sharing expertise and collaboration on specific topics, the Netherlands can achieve an impact beyond…
From Conference & Meetings World: One of Canada’s greatest offerings remains undiscovered by many. When people think of Canada, their minds may conjure images of pristine mountainous landscapes, some most famously friendly people in the world or perhaps simply a bottle of maple syrup. And while, yes, Canada is blessed with unparalleled natural beauty and…
From PCMA: Progressive and innovative, Sydney is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. In addition to an environment that is ripe for new and expansive ideas, the capital of New South Wales and one of Australia’s largest cities is equipped with an advanced infrastructure, from modern meeting facilities to a seamless…
From PCMA: It’s no secret that Canada attracts flocks of business events with its robust connectivity, top-of-the-line venues, and natural beauty. These days, the destination is promoting — and making readily available — an equally valuable asset: the country’s intellectual capital. Launched in April 2023, the Canadian Visionaries Network (CVN) is a one-stop shop for…
The second edition of the FutureShapers Educational Program which culminates in a presentation shoot-out at the AIPC Annual Conference once again astounded the membership of the world’s leading venue community. The Iceberg joined a buzzing crowd in Luxembourg to witness Team Equal battle it out with Team Visionary. In a double-bill, The Iceberg shares the…
Home to the UIA Congress 2023, Copenhagen has relished the title of World Capital of Architecture. But behind the spotlight was a determined group of women collaborating to ensure that the legacy of both the event and the profession burns brightly for generations to come. UIA worked with the Copenhagen Convention Bureau and other stakeholders…
From ICC Sydney: In a demonstration of its commitment to philanthropy and social impact, International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), managed by ASM Global, has recognised its charity clients at its inaugural appreciation luncheon yesterday. The event follows a bumper year for ICC Sydney where charity and not for profit organisations declared at least A$7.1…
From Boardroom, by Remi Deve: Canada, through its business events branch Destination Canada, has consistently led the way in innovative strategic approaches to attract association conferences. The event ‘Innovate Canada’ exemplifies the organization’s commitment to fostering economic growth by attracting relevant international business events. Remarkably, this year’s second edition – held in Victoria, British Columbia,…
From ESAE: Hosting international congresses and events goes beyond economic benefits. It entails justifying the carbon footprint while capitalizing on opportunities for positive change. In 2019, our partner, the Copenhagen Convention Bureau, introduced the Copenhagen Legacy Lab — an initiative focused on developing methodology, tools, and processes for events. This strategic co-creation approach aims to…
From Boardroom: 2023 has seen record-breaking temperatures and the alarming increase of extreme weather events across our planet. Sustainability can no longer simply be considered as a nice-to-have option, but as an essential core value that should help drive the ethos of any sector of activity, including the business events industry. Furthermore, sustainability should be…
From Skift Meetings: Following six years of research, MeetDenmark has just released a new report with insights into the key ingredient for event legacy success: robust collaboration. Learn about the motivation behind this groundbreaking research, and discover some of the top findings that emerged. Event legacies have long been a trending topic in the industry,…
Showing Featured News
View all News
From ICCA: Across four magical days in Bangkok, the 62nd ICCA Congress (12 – 15 Nov 2023) emerged as a beacon of industry leadership, innovation, and advocacy for the international meetings and events industry. In a record-breaking ICCA Congress for the APAC region – and the third largest congress in ICCA history – 1,123 participants…
City Destinations Alliance has announced its Call for Speakers for its next International Conference, in Bologna on 24-27 April 2024, is now open. Industry professionals will be invited to perform a ‘collaborative reality check on urban tourism’ and the organisation is keen to hear from anyone who feels they have a valuable contribution to make.
From UFI: UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has launched a dedicated advocacy portal on the UFI website. The portal bundles information and materials on key industry initiatives, highlights relevant industry issues, and profiles partner institutions to drive and advance advocacy for the exhibition industry globally. In a constantly evolving landscape, UFI recognises…
From China National Convention Center II: As the world-renowned capital of China since ancient times, Beijing has now developed into a modern international city. It is home to seven world heritage sites and the first capital city in the world to have a UNESCO Global Geopark. China National Convention Center phase II (“CNCC II”), the…
From Meet In Wales: Meet In Wales will be delving into the world of Life Sciences at IBTM this month, when the team introduces its sector specialist and ambassador, Dr Lee Parry. Dr Parry, who is on the faculty of Cardiff University, will be introduced to stage by Meet In Wales’ Head of Business Events,…
From BESydney: As part of Business Event Sydney’s (BESydney) Change Starts Here agenda, it has engaged a Social Impact Specialist to drive the Social Impact strategy from the bidding stage all the way through, with a focus on measurement. Tina Demetriou will be joining the team from 21 November bringing a strong background in event…
From BestCities Global Alliance: BestCities Global Alliance and the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) are proud to announce the winning association of this year’s Incredible Impacts Programme, the Associated Country Women of the World. ACWW has set the industry standard in the last 12 months and has driven real change through passion, education, and…
From Business Events Sarawak: The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) announced Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) as the exclusive Seed Grant Contributor for the first legacy impact certification programme – Association Impact Masterclass. “ICCA is very excited to have Sarawak on board as the destination exemplifies greatness in developing legacy impact, setting a remarkable standard…
From BBC: “ESG” was supposed to be a clear way for companies to explain their business decisions around environmental, social and governance considerations. How did the term go off the rails? In 2015, Paris was buzzing with anticipation as world leaders gathered for the UN’s annual Climate Change Conference (COP21). After weeks of intense debate,…
From Skift: Dubai’s national carrier Emirates has ordered an additional 90 aircraft from Boeing in a $52 billion mega-deal the entire industry was waiting for today. Announced on day one of the Dubai Airshow, the deal brings Emirates’ total orders to 295 aircraft. The deal was made in the presence of the emirate’s crown prince,…
From Business Events Sarawak: Sarawak has geared up as a global business events advocate for the government sector at the 62nd ICCA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand from 12-15 November with the Sarawak delegation, led by The Honourable Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah fueling the global interest in legacy impact initiatives in several power-packed activities…
From Association Meetings International: Meeting and events leaders must influence the conversation around sustainable aviation as companies implement carbon budgets that threaten to hit delegate numbers. That was the plea from Mariela Bazan, from the Event Industry Council, who was chairing a session on the environmental impact of conference flights at the 62nd ICCA Congress,…
Showing Featured Case Studies
View all Case Studies
Every Convention can leave long-term positive changes for its host destination if thought is put into its planning, implementation and follow-up. Traditionally, destinations have sought only economic impacts regarding delegate numbers, hotel room nights, food and beverage spending by delgates, pre or post-touring heads and expenditure. In short, a convention is valued in dollars and…
From Skift Meetings: The industry is full of event legacy success stories, but rarely do we have a chance to understand the inner workings of the start-to-finish planning process. MeetDenmark’s latest report Powering Meeting Legacies: New Insights for Associations & Host Communities shares precisely this level of insight. As Skift Meetings recently reported, the white…
On the shoulders of the many The 28th UIA World Congress of Architects took place in Copenhagen from July 2-6, 2023. Its rallying call: “Sustainable Futures – Leave No One Behind” attracted more than 6,000 delegates from all corners of the built environment and from 135 countries. Convening in the Danish capital, the world’s leading…
The conversation on sustainability has changed. Today’s leading organisations no longer see sustainability as a reporting or compliance issue, but as a critical business imperative in our interconnected world. More than ever before, longterm prosperity and success hinge on integrating sustainability into strategic planning and decision-making, as well as determining the synergies between financial performance…
From Boardroom: Singapore’s global influence is undeniable. Moving up a spot as the 7th most innovative nation in the world in the latest Global Innovation Index (GII) 2022, the city attracts associations aiming for meaningful impact and sustainability, fostering knowledge exchange, innovation, and positive community engagement. Home to an airport serving nearly 100 airlines and…
In 2022, Montréal Convention Centre hosted the 24th International AIDS Conference, organised by the International AIDS society, bringing together approximately 8,000 people, including scientists, clinicians, people living with HIV, community leaders and decision-makers, and other stakeholders from around the world. A further 1,000 attendees joined the event virtually. The main aims of the conference were…
Showing Featured Research
View all Research
From PCMA: LinkedIn, you may have noticed, is booming. Long considered the duller, nerdier counterpart to platforms like Facebook and Twitter, the 20-year-old business-oriented social-media channel was ranked as one of the top 10 fastest-growing brands in the world in 2022. The platform, which has reported that it adds a new user every three seconds,…
From M&IT Magazine: 2024 is set to be a balancing act for event professionals as the sector engages with some of the “biggest conversations of our time” according to the IBTM World Trends Report 2024. The annual report addresses some of the biggest macro-economic, political, ecological, and next-generation technological issues affecting the meetings and events…
From Conference & Meetings World: The Business of Events (TBOE), the independent advocacy group for the UK’s events sector, has launched the next edition of its Global Destination Report. Commenting on the report, Martin Fullard, associate director, The Business of Events, told Conference & Meeting’s World’s sister publication, Conference News, “This year’s Global Destination Report…
From Exhibition World: A new UFI/BSG report on the trade fair industry in Asia compares regional markets in 2022, when Covid was still affecting many Asian markets, with 2019 and finds that space sold dropped by 87% to approximately 3.2m. sqm over the period. The massive drop is attributed to China’s restrictive Covid-zero policy. The…
From AMI: A new white paper has revealed concerns over artificial technology (AI) being used in event planning. The white paper, authored by The Hague & Partners Convention Bureau and Ottawa Tourism, has identified that 63 per cent of global association buyers are either ‘very concerned’ or ‘slightly concerned’ about the ethical implications of using…
From PCMA: The last time we conducted the Meetings Market Survey — the results of which had been published every year, without fail, in Convene for 29 years — it was November 2019, and in the public mind, the pandemic referred to early-20th-century influenza, not the global health crisis we were on the brink of…
Showing Featured Opinions
View all Opinions
From Meetings International, by Sherrif Karamat: The wrong choice of words, no matter how well-intentioned, can have a powerful and unintended effect. We have a striking example of that in the business events industry with the recent resignation of Paddy Cosgrave, former CEO of the Web Summit, Europe’s largest tech conference. Cosgrave stepped down from…
From Meetings International: “The bourgeois era, with its false and misleading concept of humanity, is over. A hard century has dawned. No one can master it with meekness but only with manliness and strength. The world is divided into lovers and haters. Only he who stands on solid ground knows exactly when to love and…
From Meetings International, by Roger Kellerman: Grit is a character trait that combines perserverance, inner drive and the ability not to give up in the face of adversity. It is a crucial factor in achieving success both at school and in professional lift. Grit can also be developed and reinforced by ourselves and through support…
Global Association Hubs’ International Advisor Martin Sirk argues that associations would benefit from a more uninhibited and broadminded approach to their strategic relationships: Of all the conference formats I’ve facilitated, none is more eye-opening and intellectually humbling than a “wisdom of crowds” workshop. The collective knowledge of a group of competent professionals… From Boardroom…
From The Conversation, by Ross Bennett-Cook: The summer of 2023 has been very significant for the travel industry. By the end of July, international tourist arrivals globally reached 84% of pre-pandemic levels. In some European countries, such as France, Denmark and Ireland, tourism demand even surpassed its pre-pandemic level. This may be great news economically,…
From the Meeting Professional: Natasha Richards, a longtime advocacy leader and director of impact and industry relations for the IMEX Group, admits that when it comes to sustainability and social responsibility, the events sector is often seen as more of a problem than a solution. “We really have an identity crisis—where do we fit in…
From Destinations International, by Jack Johnson: Back in January, I wrote a blog post titled “Essential, Absolutely Necessary, and Very Important, Part 1.” This is the promised sequel. In the first blog I referenced an article in Wired Magazine titled “Humans Walk Weird. Scientists May Finally Know Why.” which pointed out that humans have an…
From Skift Meetings: Jaimé Bennett leads PCMA’s ambitious growth strategy in Europe with her distinctive style of transparent and genuine leadership. She is dedicated to organizing impactful events that foster safe and inclusive environments, fearlessly addressing significant industry challenges such as talent and consolidation. Jaimé Bennett is the managing director of EMEA at PCMA and…
Mike Williams, Senior Consultant & Partner at GainingEdge and AIME Ambassador, talks to AIME about current industry challenges and trends, engaging with the next generation of delegates through immersive experiences and new technologies, partnering with Government entities with shared economic goals, and creating legacy programs, and tracking and evaluating their economic and social outcomes…
In this episode of The EXHIBITOR Now Podcast, Tommy Goodwin (Exhibition & Conferences Alliance) chats with Kai Hattendorf, Managing Director / CEO at UFI, about UFI’s advocacy work in the US and around the world, and Kai shares some insights into the upcoming Global Congress in Las Vegas in early November. Co-Hosts, Mark Johnson and…
From Boardroom, by Vicky Koffa: Conferences are conduits of knowledge and innovation when met with a solid ecosystem of academia and business. Sydney, with its dynamic fusion of talent, cutting-edge tech facilities, and stunning natural surroundings, has emerged as the ideal destination for hosting global tech and innovation-focused events. At the heart of Sydney’s tech…
From Boardoom / Associations Now: A glance at the headlines these days makes it clear—if it hadn’t been already—just how much we’re connected globally. Many associations that often think of themselves as concerned only with activities in the United States have had to contend with global conflicts and international supply-chain issues that affect their members’…
Showing Featured Education
View all Education
Join us for a global conversation on impact and legacy as we celebrate and hear from our recent GDS-Movement & #MEET4IMPACT Impact Award finalists. This interactive session aims to foster a community of future impact and legacy practitioners. Hear from BESydney, Göteborg & Co, Fáilte Ireland and Meet in Ireland, Glasgow Convention Bureau, and Visit…
Join us for a global conversation on impact and legacy as we celebrate and hear from our recent GDS-Movement & #MEET4IMPACT Impact Award finalists. This interactive session aims to foster a community of future impact and legacy practitioners. Hear from BESydney, Göteborg & Co, Fáilte Ireland and Meet in Ireland, Glasgow Convention Bureau, and Visit…
The Knowledge Program is the launchpad for the global events industry to come together, immerse in learning, growth and inspire events for next year and beyond. The theme for 2024, ‘The 4Ps of Glocalisation’, draws inspiration from the AIME global community’s wish of harmonising the relationship between global insights and local nuances.
Certified International Convention Executive (CICE) Course | Enhance your skills and accelerate your growth. This course is designed for higher-level executives, with 3+ years of management experience or CICS graduates, to learn about new strategies and business models to elevate the level of the industry for meeting suppliers. 7 modules with 35 Chapters for the…
ICCASkills Certified International Convention Specialist (CICS) Course | This course is designed for early and mid-level professionals, or young graduates wanting to gain hands-on knowledge about the industry and become a specialist in the field. No minimum experience required. Two two-hour online sessions take place on Tuesdays and Thursday weekly for 8 weeks. We recommend…
Certified International Convention Executive (CICE) Course | This course is designed for higher-level executives to learn about new strategies and business models to elevate the level of the industry for meeting suppliers. Two two-hour online sessions take place on Mondays and Wednesdays weekly for 10 weeks. We recommend learners studying 1 hour per chapter prior…
The industry education programme for exhibition organisers. The curriculum was developed jointly with the UFI community, making it a programme designed by exhibition organisers for exhibition organisers. The UFI-EMS is part of the UFI Certified Professional designation and awards 20 foundation credits.
At IMEX you can enjoy expert education, explore the latest event trends and experience your most productive days of the year. Whether you’re an events newbie or a pro (or anything in between), IMEX 2024 is exactly where you need to be. And as an added bonus – attendance is completely free.
The Professional in Destination Management (PDM) certificate program provides those new to the destination organization side of the industry (less than one year of experience) with cutting-edge education, offering entry-level personnel the critical skills and knowledge necessary to start their careers in the travel and tourism industry. The updated PDM certificate program is now online, available…
Every Wednesday, Iceberg Ambassador Anna Look hosts a FREE Q&A session to motivate & inspire business event professionals. Boost your week, ready to slay your 2023 sales targets with Anna’s industry trends insights and advice on tackling your specific prospecting worries. Let Anna help you get unstuck with tips, tricks and motivation.
Discover how Singapore, as a premiere business event destination, can help you organize impactful conferences. In this special Knowledge Capital Boardroom MiniCourse, Carrie Kwik, Executive Director Europe, Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau, explains what makes Singapore so special when it comes to organizing high-quality association events that will have long-lasting legacies both for your organization…
On-demand education from experienced industry professionals: This series of lessons can be reviewed at your own pace, on-demand, saving your progress as you go. At the end, you will take a quiz on what you’ve learned to receive a certificate of completion for CMP credits.
Showing Featured Events
View all Events
Discover why thousands of business events professionals and community leaders from around the world come to Convening Leaders every year to explore, through leading-edge education, research, and networking, how business events generate economic and social legacies for businesses and communities.
The BestCities Global Alliance is gathering industry thought-leaders, international associations and partner destinations under one roof. Global Forum Melbourne will explore how in-person meetings are critical to cultivating meaningful connections and purpose for meeting planners, associations and delegates. You can look forward to workshops, presentations and hands-on experiences that demonstrate the importance of in-person learning…
(By invitation only) The Global CEO Summit, or the GCS as it is also known, is UFI’s most exclusive event. It serves as the exhibition industry’s annual curtain raiser event for the most senior executives worldwide. The GCS event offers top-level content, dialogues and excellent networking – all in a relaxed environment.
The Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) is the leading trade event for the meetings and event industry in the Asia Pacific region. AIME is where industry decision makers connect, create and do business. We bring together international and local buyers to access the best exhibitors from around the world.
Mark your calendars for the ICCA Meetings Africa Association Day on Monday, 26 February 2024, preceding Meetings Africa, taking place on Tuesday, 27 February and Wednesday, 28 February. Stay tuned for more details to come!
Are you ready for the 2024 UFI Asia-Pacific Conference? Over the years, UFI’s Asia-Pacific Conference has become one of the exhibition industry’s most important gatherings for learning and networking in the region. After successfully restarting this year, we are headed to Macau. The conference will be held on 7-8 March 2024. Pre register here…
Destinations Exchange Europe is ETOA and CityDNA’s B2B event. It will take place over two days providing a great mix of commercially focused meetings, knowledge sessions, and opportunities to discuss product development and operational issues. In today’s rapidly evolving travel landscape, it is more important than ever for industry professionals to come together to share…
Business Events Industry Week is a curated, multi-day experience focused on advancing the role of the global business events community in solving the economic and social transformational challenges of our audiences. The current environment has given us permission to experiment even more, as our members, customers and audiences are looking for new solutions to complex…
The Convention Sales & Services Summit is a cross-functional gathering of sales and services professionals dedicated to helping clients plan and execute successful meetings and events. Topics include the impacts of a shifting workforce, technological disruption, the new role of the sales and services team, overcoming destination concerns of safety, political climates and human rights,…
Held annually, the UFI MEA Conference is the most important annual gathering of exhibition industry leaders in the region. It is attended by senior representatives from government entities, convention bureaus, tourism boards, venues, and event organisers, in addition to economists, media and industry experts, from across the world. The conference will feature panel sessions and…
The Business of Events is where you will meet and join a like-minded community of relentless innovators and trailblazers who thrive on creating meaningful human connections and leverage events masterfully to drive business growth and social change. We will explore new thinking and research on changing consumer behaviours; delve into the art and science of…
The Meetings Show unveils a new and exciting event, taking place in a destination known for its corporate hospitality, Singapore, showcasing the best of Asia Pacific. With multiple award-winning innovative event spaces, Singapore is one of the leading destinations for MICE globally, and winners of Best MICE Destination (Asia) at the M&C Asia Stella Awards…
Showing Featured Ambassadors
View all Ambassadors
Website: View website
Natalie O’Brien AM is Chief Executive of Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), where she is responsible for the strategic direction of the business. She also has oversight of planning and future management of the new Geelong Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCEC) opening in 2026. Natalie is a former CEO of Food + Wine Victoria,…
Website: View website
Tommy Goodwin is Vice President for the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), a newly-formed association dedicated to the recovery and advancement of the business events industry. In this role, he leads ECA’s advocacy and member engagement work on behalf the interconnected ecosystem of exhibitors, show and event organizers, suppliers, venues, and destinations that comprise the…
Website: View website
Gemmeke has over 15 years of experience in the meetings industry. She advises especially international associations on how to develop positive impact on the longer term with their conferences or events within Flanders (Northern Belgium) and Brussels together with the different stakeholders in the Quadruple Helix. Based in the capital of the European Union, Gemmeke…
Website: View website
Sherrif Karamat, CAE, is President and CEO of PCMA and CEMA, the world’s largest community for Business Events Strategists, providing senior-level education, networking, and market intelligence for the global business events industry. Karamat leads the vision, mission and promise for PCMA’s global family of brands. He is a prominent business architect, enabling communities to become…
Website: View website
Flavie de Bueil has more than 20 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…
Website: View website
Matt is the CEO and co-founder of Talk2 Media & Events. Talk2 ME owns and runs a variety of trade and consumer exhibitions throughout Australia. Every year Talk2 ME works with some of Australia’s best brands as partners on exhibitions that attract almost 200,000 highly engaged visitors through their doors. Talk2 Media & Events was…
Website: View website
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. Storytelling, 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…
Website: View website
Senthil Gopinath has over 20 years’ experience in the meetings, association and leisure industry. He has held a wide range of positions, including CEO of Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, and Vice President of Kuoni. In 2006 Senthil moved to Dubai to work for Congress Solutions International, the Professional Congress Organiser (PCO) arm of Emirates Group….
Website: View website
Amelia is a pioneer of BESarawak with over 21 years of branding, marketing and PR experience whose career in the sector began as a sales coordinator. Within 12 years, she helms the organisation as a CEO. Coming from the indigenous Bidayuh tribe of Sarawak, she is passionate about developing her homeland and providing opportunities for…
Website: View website
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…
Website: View website
With more than 20 years’ experience in the meetings industry, Bettina has extensive knowledge on working with association congresses and in creating close collaboration between associations, academia, organisations, companies and government. AMCs in attracting international association congresses, meetings and exhibitions to Copenhagen. In her last 7 years as Deputy in the Convention department and Head…
Website: View website
As Chief Advocacy Officer, Jack Johnson manages the overall public policy operations at Destinations International including member advocacy education and training, development of destination tools and best practices, coalition work with peer organizations, industry research and related public affairs activities. He also oversees the board governance, the Destination Management Accreditation Program (DMAP) and the DestinationNEXT…
Showing Partners
View all Partners
Powered by 
