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UK Industry Value Falls From £17.6bn to £1.7bn

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…

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Incredible Impacts 2021 Winners Announced

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…

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JMIC Launches Net Zero Carbon Pledge

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…

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Italy Launches €520m Sector Compensation

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…

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Grocery Shop Higher Risk Than Meetings

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…

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Overseas to Return in 2022-23, Says Study

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…

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Liverpool in England Signs up to GDS-Index

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…

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Bangkok’s QSNCCC Gets $455m Revamp

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…

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Sarawak in Malaysia Signs up to GDS-Index

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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Malaysian Venues Assist Vaccination Rollout

The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre is now Malaysia’s largest vaccination centre. The Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau has launched the Business Events Stewards Programme. Backed also by the secretariat of the Malaysia Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers, the scheme is providing volunteer venue staff at vaccination centres. From Exhibition World…

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COP26 Chief Flies to Thirty Countries

It has been revealed that COP26 President Alok Sharma has taken flights to 30 countries over the last seven months. The UK government minister running the UN’s climate change conference in Glasgow has been accused of hypocrisy, racking up tens of thousands of air miles in quick succession. From Association Meetings International…

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UK Launches £750m Event Insurance

The UK has announced an insurance scheme for events, the government joining with Lloyd’s as a “reinsurer”, to make sure commercial insurers can offer products event planners require. The scheme will support gatherings like music festivals and business events, covering risks of cancellation under any pandemic restrictions. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Hopin Raises a Further $450m of Investment

Hopin has raised $450 million in Series D investment. Since February 2020, the virtual meetings platform has raised over $1 billion in all. The new round values Hopin, formed in 2019, at $7.75 billion. It has scaled from six to over 800 employees in over 47 countries since the start of 2020. From Conference News…

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Expo 2020 Attracting Satellite Meetings

With Expo 2020 Dubai opening in October, the emirate is poised to welcome major corporate and incentive groups intending to let delegates explore the show during their visit. The new Dubai Exhibition Centre within the Expo 2020 site will also host several important events, including the Dubai Association Conference. From Meetings International…

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Associations Uncertain About Hybrid Events

Many association event workers accept the benefits of holding hybrid meetings but believe barriers are too high to run them well. A report from Eventsforce, which looks at hybrid association events plus challenges and opportunities they bring, reveals that 49 percent are unsure if hybrid has much of a future for them. From Association Meetings International…

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European Conferences May Need COVID Pass

Delegates hoping to attend an association conference in Europe may be asked to produce a “COVID pass” as more governments impose restrictions on unvaccinated people meeting indoors. The rapid spread of the Delta variant has spooked leaders kickstarting their battered economies while protecting the gains made by the vaccines. From Association Meetings International…

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MWC21 Welcomes Back 20,000 to Barcelona

An early casualty of the pandemic, Mobile World Congress 2021 has welcomed back 20,000 on site delegates to host city Barcelona, with 100,000 taking part virtually. The show made news in February last year when organisers GSMA made a late call to cancel as the pandemic started to spread. From Association Meetings International…

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