PRESENTS
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While some destinations fail to invest in reaping the rewards of business and professional events (the current example being the Scottish capital and the public sector funding cuts devastating convention and visitors bureau Marketing Edinburgh), meetings are increasingly being acknowledged by city authorities across the board for the economic and social legacies they leave. Iceberg…
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Seoul and wider South Korea have much to offer planners of meetings and incentives, and are competing strongly against other key Asian destinations like Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Big wins of late include the 31st World Congress on Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Seoul now lies tenth in ICCA rankings. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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This year the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (left) marks its 46th anniversary. Integral to Kenya’s history and a beacon for its future, no one thinks of the capital Nairobi without the iconic building slicing through the skyline. From its 1973 opening to the present, international meetings have been at KICC’s heart. From the Event…
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The 45th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation staged in Frankfurt, the world’s largest meeting for stem-cell therapy, was the result of close cooperation between the city, the venue and the scientific community. From Association Meetings International in collaboration with Conference & Incentive Management and Frankfurt Messe…
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With a record-breaking 3,580 attendees registered, the recent World Sleep 2019 in Vancouver was the largest sleep meeting ever held. Organised by the World and the Canadian Sleep Societies, the event featured a learning and awareness stream free to attend for the general public, Sleep Expo 2019. Photo: Kristopher Grunert. From Association Meetings International…
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Business Events Sarawak is looking beyond the narrow limits of business tourism’s financial benefits. Malaysia’s biggest state and second-tier conference destination, with fast-increasing popularity, has recently expanded its focus towards the social impact and remote legacy that meetings can leave behind, like April’s Borneo Coffee Symposium. From Boardroom…
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With successful sectors like life sciences, technology, agribusiness, aerospace, clean technology, natural resources and advanced manufacturing, Canada is becoming an increasingly “alluring” destination for global meetings and events. Planners can reach into local industry and academia to shape their meeting agendas, grow their attendances and create legacies. From Boardroom…
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The flying saucer of Palacongressi di Rimini (pictured), part of the Italian Exhibition Group, has become a strong contender for hosting high-profile international association events. In 2020 the venue is staging conferences that will create significant legacies in child protection, cardiology, organic chemistry, social work… and strawberry farming. From Boardroom…
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Conferences and events are set to play a key role in the West Midlands’ new Regional Tourism Strategy, which aims to grow the area’s visitor economy by more than £1 billion and create 19,000 local jobs. At the conurbation’s heart is Birmingham, a city on the rise. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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Launched in February, #MEET4IMPACT is creating a framework to support and measure association meetings’ social impacts. In this fourth instalment of our Features series, founder Geneviève Leclerc discusses what comes in advance of the requirement everyone knows and appreciates, measurement of legacy impact: its management. From Boardroom…
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Edinburgh has just shored up its ambition to become the “data capital” of Europe by hosting ESOMAR Congress 2019. The global data and insights summit at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre attracted more than 1,200 international delegates, and over 3,600 online viewers. The Scottish capital is considered the UK’s fastest growing tech hub. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
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Dubai is strengthening its networks to become a meetings hub in medical sciences. The emirate’s healthcare and pharmaceutical industries are set to be worth $71.3 billion by 2020. Convention bureau Dubai Business Events has signed six Memorandums of Understanding so far in 2019 to attract more meetings to the city. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
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Meetings in Europe are increasing in number, but becoming shorter and smaller. So says the ninth edition of Iceberg partner European Cities Marketing’s Meetings Statistics Report, which reveals 2.9 percent growth in the number of meetings between 2017 and 2018. Delegate numbers and delegates days have however slightly decreased. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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EICC, the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, is partnering with the Edinburgh BioQuarter hub to raise the international profile of the Scottish life sciences sector. Their collaboration aims to bring more medicine and life sciences conferences to Scotland’s capital, while at the same time encouraging more entrepreneurs to start up innovative businesses. From Association Meetings International…
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Final figures from SWIFT’s Sibos, the world’s largest gathering of financial services professionals, show that the event at ExCeL London did indeed previous records during its week of residency. Delegate numbers were much higher than expected, with 11,500 visitors and 300 exhibitors attending from over 150 countries. From Association Meetings International…
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With five different formats spread across two co-located meetings, Basel Life and Intelligent Health, a festival of life sciences events has just taken place at the same time in the Congress Center Basel. 2,000 delegates from 68 countries visited Intelligent Health, which focussed on the use of artificial intelligence to solve world health problems. From Boardroom…
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The Palais des congrès de Montréal is opening its CITE Event Innovation and Technology Centre, in order to help organisers with reinventing the experience they offer through the expertise of local startups. A dozen firms have joined or will be joining the centre, ultimately in a full-scale co-working space. From Boardroom…
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MEETinLEEDS, conference facilities for the University of Leeds, has just finished hosting the Communication Matters International Augmentative and Alternative Communication Conference. Attracting over 430 delegates from 19 countries, the event created significant legacies around communication needs for both attendees and the venue. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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Edinburgh’s world leading position in medical research, life sciences and entrepreneurship is now being reinforced with many organisations in the sector selecting the city for events and meetings this autumn. In 2018-2019, Marketing Edinburgh supported 37 health conferences, bringing in 44 percent of business tourism revenue over that time. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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Athens has been chosen to host the 2023 Congress of the European Society for Organ Transplantation. The announcement was made at the 2019 event just held in Copenhagen. More than 3,500 global experts are expected to attend the event, which will create a significant legacy for both Athens and its life sciences sector. From Boardroom…
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Meet Bristol, the SW English city’s convention bureau, has launched a conference ambassador initiative to promote itself better as a destination for business events. By establishing greater collaboration between local sector experts and event suppliers, the programme is aiming to make strong and competitive bids to host international meetings. Photo: Chris Lathom-Sharp. From Association Meetings International…
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Magazine London, one of the largest event spaces in the capital, has now opened for business. The facility in Greenwich Peninsula has capacity for up to 3,000 people standing indoors and 7,000 outdoors. It has already attracted a wide variety of high-profile, public and private events ahead of 2020. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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The fourth meeting of Dubai’s City Readiness Committee, which brings together the major parties involved, has declared all the preparations for Expo 2020 to be on track. The body coordinates both local and federal entities. It is now just a year before the six month event, with 25 million visits expected. From Meetings International…
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South Africa has been selected as host of the FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2022. The event is the largest global gathering of pharmacy professionals, and will be held at the CTICC (Cape Town International Convention Centre) in September 2022, with around 2,000 attendees expected. From the Event…
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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…
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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…
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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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Building on UFI and Explori’s 2016 Global Visitor and 2017 Global Exhibitor Insight reports, this study investigates: How the trade show industry has evolved since 2016 in the eyes of its visitors Visitor experience of individual shows and the industry as a whole How the trade show industry compares to other channels How the visitor…
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Looking into 2020, sector professionals are “very optimistic” about the meetings and events industry. This global survey’s respondents are predicting that the industry will remain steady with moderate growth across all meeting types, with modest increases in spend, and with a continued focus on the attendee experience and experiential events. 2020 Global Meetings and Events…
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This is the third year in which IMEX has had an annual “Talking Point”, a thread and a story that runs through both shows and all year long. In 2017, the concept was “Purposeful Meetings”, which was followed by “Legacy” in 2018. To help demonstrate this year’s idea of “Imagination” in concrete and practical terms, IMEX…
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CWT M&E’s 2020 Future Trends in Meetings and Events probes into the shifting currents that will frame meetings and events in 2020. It examines how global and regional marketplaces are evolving, to inspire you and keep your M&E program always a step ahead. 2020 Future Trends in Meetings and Events (CWT M&E website, registration required) CWT…
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Europe as a Destination for Meetings and Conferences is in the focus of a recent study that looks at challenges and opportunities in a changing environment as a basis for developing hands-on recommendations for action. In an age of complexity creativity and flexibility are key With the aim of analysing Europe’s medium-term to long-term market…
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AMR International in this white paper explores the developments and opportunities for organizers in the US exhibitions industry. This is essential reading for US event organizers and investors. What to expect: New insights into the exhibition industry’s performance and outlook Understanding of the evolving needs of attendees and exhibitors Details on AMR’s Exhibitions 2.0 model…
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Magical Kenya Travel Expo 2019 has just run at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre. In a session on business events, Lance Gibbons, the Publisher of Iceberg partner Event Africa, headed up a discussion on the importance of the sector. Also contributing was Jeffers Miruka, President of African Society of Association Executives. From the Event…
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Jeremy Rees, ExCeL London CEO, has been revealing his plans for the future of the venue. Topics covered include measuring event success, budgets, safety, changes inside the industry, and the sector’s wider recognition. Ahead of Sibos, the centre upgraded its W-Fi, and also installed a living wall of more than 9,500 plants (see picture). From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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Convention centres are great places to exhibit the largest pieces of art. In Singapore, Sydney, Washington DC and Paris, four venues have placed significant works on display, from contemporary legends like Anthony Gormley and Anish Kapoor, to First Nations’ art in Australia, to Europe’s largest fresco (pictured). From Association Meetings International…
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Fake and predatory events provide little or no substance, if they even take place at all, create confusion in the marketplace, and siphon off the very same audiences that legitimate events work so hard to attract and educate. They are becoming a real problem in the meetings industry. What can be done? From PCMA…
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The London–based World Obesity Federation recently certified the Milano Convention Centre as the world’s first Gold Level Healthy Venue. MiCo management is very keen to talk about what this means in practice, and also about the role venues can play in creating wellness legacies for their stakeholders. From PCMA…
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Has the war on plastic blinded us to other problems we face? Jemma Peers, Commercial Director at Top Banana, explores sustainability issues and shares the top three quick wins the industry can start practicing for long-lasting impact: watching air miles, reducing waste and creating sustainable menus. From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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During August, Iceberg partner Positive Impact conducted a survey of event industry commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Over 7,000 pledges from 58 countries were received, like using only plant-based food to reduce carbon footprint. In a video from outside UN HQ in New York, CEO Fiona Pelham explains. From Positive Impact via YouTube…
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The first time Gina Glantz used social media to call out the lack of women on a conference panel, she was “rebuked”. This ultimately led to her foundation of the campaigning nonprofit GenderAvenger, and later a change in how meetings respond to the naming and shaming of sessions which only schedule “manels”. From PCMA…
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Davos is perhaps best known for staging the World Economic Forum, which gathers around 3,000 leading figures from business, politics and science every year. As such, it also has the expertise and capacity to host association events, as Professor Geoff Richards, Director of the AO Research Institute Davos, can testify. From Boardroom…
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We’re told that the events industry is one of the most stressful sectors in which to work. It doesn’t have to be. Will Glendinning, event producer, director, designer and adventurer, lays out four key issues behind most of the stress workers deal with on a daily basis. From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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The shame and stigma of mental illness need to be addressed within the events industry. That was the call at UK Event Wellbeing Week 2019 in London. One idea raised was that clients might foster change, as they increasingly ask about work culture in RFIs (requests for information). From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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Iceberg partner Positive Impact has been campaigning for the meetings industry to align its activity to the framework of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. An industry survey that was conducted during August is being submitted to the UN itself. In a further video recorded at IMEX America, CEO Fiona Pelham explains. From IMEX via YouTube…
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If you also want to know how to avoid legal traps and ensure a successful, legally compliant event business as comprehensively as possible, you should attend this seminar. You will get to know the current legal requirements and discuss practical solutions comprehensively. Includes: Responsibilities and Duties of Executives and Business Leaders; Legal assignment of external companies…
If potential customers do not buy, it’s not always because of the price, or because your location’s infrastructure is inappropriate for the event. If you address your customers in a solution-oriented manner, you will create trust in your service and give them the feeling of being understood and well cared for. Communicate with customers convincingly;…
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…
AIPC will again be at the fore with a mix of high-level industry interactions, member engagement and participation in programming that facilitates member access and creates opportunities for interactions and consultation. Visit us at stand K85.
Teambuilding … how do you do that? – Why are employees so important to the company? The seminar content answers questions about motivation, communication and leadership. Based on practical examples of solutions, you tackle problems together with the speaker, for example – how do you achieve and promote teamwork and teambuilding? How can you increase the satisfaction…
Experience learning tailored to your needs at ASAE’s Technology Exploration Conference, whether you’re a CEO, CIO, director, manager, or other professional with a role or interest in technology. Your colleagues at the Technology Exploration Conference may come with different experiences and expertise, but they bring similar challenges and goals—guaranteeing an exchange of sharp insights and bright…
Following the sell-out success of last year’s event, this year’s UFI-VMA Venue Management School (VMS) will once again be held in Shanghai. UFI joined forces with the Venue Management Association (VMA) in Australia to develop this innovative training programme, which is tailored to the specific requirements of venue managers in China. The Mandarin-language programme was created…
The AIPC Academy is the only comprehensive professional development program aimed specifically at international convention centre issues and opportunities. Updated annually to reflect the most current conditions, it is the best possible investment a centre can make in the development of fully professional staff ready to meet the facility management and marketing challenges of today…
The Great Ideas Conference is the place for association leaders to build core competencies for achieving innovation and share big ideas that will propel associations forward. You’ll get the space you need to explore innovative ideas in a relaxed, collaborative setting. The conference features idea labs, offsite experiential learning, learning circles, and preconference workshops presented…
Open to all UFI members and event professionals, each UFI Forum is dedicated to a specific topic in relation with an exhibition industry issue. Chaired by each respective Working Group chair-person, these one-day meetings are composed of speakers’ presentations, as well as round-table discussions and debates between the participants and presenters.
Held in conjunction with the Conference of the Association of Latin American Convention Centres, this full day event brings together a range of sessions and participants to ensure the broadest possible perspective on industry conditions and facilitate strategic development in this rapidly developing region within a global context.
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Open to UFI members only, UFI’s annual Global Congress is known as the exhibition industry’s largest global meeting of the year and the “must attend” event for all industry professionals, 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…
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 31 years, IBTM World has been providing the global community with the inspiration, business connections and content you need to create world-class events for your customers. Make a year’s worth of connections…
This two-days summit is designed as a platform for the Asia Pacific members to meet, network and discuss topics of common interest to pave the way for member-to-member collaboration. ICCA Asia Pacific Summit 2019 will bring together expert speakers from the global business events and ICCA Asia Pacific Chapter communities on a Journey of Discovery.
Open to senior international association executives (or AMC on behalf of the associations), the Global Forum is the ideal opportunity for decision-makers considering hosting an event in a BestCities’ destination, to meet all the partner cities and meeting planners in one stunning location. Participating associations will return home with a tangible tool to use in the…
Get the inside edge on BONDay to help your business soar! Business Opportunity Networking Day (BONDay) is dedicated to helping exhibitors bond and learn through networking, education and shared thinking.
In recent years, the global meetings industry has begun to recognise Africa as a sought after destination. Meetings Africa showcases Africa’s diverse offering of services and products where African associations and African meetings industry professionals can partner to help transform our continent.
The event industry’s biggest and most prestigious recognition programme; the only independently audited events industry awards programme. Organised by Meetings & Incentive Travel magazine, the awards event brings together all sectors of the business to reward excellence of service and product and to enjoy fantastic cuisine, fine wines, excellent live entertainment and raise funds for charity.
Over the past 14 years, the UFI Asia-Pacific Conference has become one of the exhibition industry’s most important gatherings for learning and networking. Each year, the UFI Asia-Pacific Conference attracts around 300 leaders from organisers, venues, associations, service providers and government bodies. The next edition of the UFI Asia-Pacific Conference 2020 will take place in…
The next ICCA Scandinavian Chapter Annual Meeting will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden from 04-06 March 2020. The event is open to ICCA members and for non-members by invitation only.
UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry is proud to announce that the second Latin-American Conference will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in the last week of April, 2020 at Centro de Convenciones de Buenos Aires. The event will be collocated with the 17th Expoeventos Latinoamerica, one of the major exhibition industry events in…
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 free programme has it covered.
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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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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Geneviève is a Canadian industry professional based in Montreal. She has 23 years of experience in congress management and consultancy services for national and international associations and has managed international events in over 20 countries. Geneviève has been active at elevating the industry’s capacity in sustainability and value creation since 2006, when she was an…
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Nigel started his career at the head office of the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) in Amsterdam. He was part of the event organizing team of the association and served 7 years organizing a host of events on all continents. During his tenure he gained extensive project management skills and was responsible for implementing…
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Elling Hamso is Managing Partner of Event ROI Institute and a leading expert on how to measure results from meetings and events. He spends most of his time as a trainer and consultant to event agencies, associations and corporate event planners across Europe. He is currently a member of the jury of European Best Event…
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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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Gillian Taylor has over 25 years experience in the meetings industry spanning from Australia to the Arabian Gulf. Currently, Gillian is Director of Business Development at the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC), an iconic landmark for Muscat and the Sultanate of Oman. A new hub for Business Events, and with the Oman Convention Bureau…
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Anja was born in Germany and spent her childhood in Africa, returning to Germany to complete her formal education. In 1978, she joined her then hotel manager husband, travelling and supporting him in several countries in the Middle East, Australia, Tahiti and Asia. During the past 20 years, she has held several senior management and…
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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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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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