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Conference Cancelled for Hurricane Caused Academic Decline

The last minute cancellation of an academic conference in 2012 due to an approaching hurricane caused a sizeable decline in collaboration and research, a study from the University of Kent has shown. Two days before the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting was due to begin in New Orleans, Hurricane Isaac forced cancellation. From Meetpie.com…

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ICCA’s City Rankings: Istanbul Drops 94 Places

Istanbul’s standing as a destination for international association meetings is in tatters, with ICCA’s city rankings suggesting that its popularity for conferences has collapsed. For years the city proudly occupied a top ten position. Because of terrorism and other political turmoil, it dropped first to 39th place, and this year to 133rd. From Association Meetings International…

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Puma “Glamorising Crime” at London Party Event

Puma has been accused of glamorising crime after hosting a drug and gang-themed party in central London. The sportswear brand invited people to its House of Hustle party in an abandoned Soho mansion by sending out wads of fake £50 notes and ‘trap phones’: less traceable low-tech handsets used by drug dealers. From Meetpie.com…

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Awards Forced to Apologise for Spoof Terror Attack

The organiser of the UK Rail Industry Awards has apologised after the ceremony featured a mock terror assault. The awards at Battersea Evolution were being held on the first anniversary of the Westminster Bridge attack. As well as the spoof terror stunt, complaints were also made about language and humour used during the event. From Meetpie.com…

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NRA Warned to Move Annual Convention out of Dallas

A former Dallas mayor is calling for the National Rifle Association to move its annual meeting out of the city. The 147th NRA convention is taking place in May at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. It is expected to draw 20,000 attendees and generate $42 million for the city. Photo: Michael Barera. From Meetings & Conventions…

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Firms Disregard Sexism Warning at Gambling Event

Before opening, the ICE Totally Gaming event at London’s ExCeL was warned by the Gambling Commission that it faced a boycott if it did not stamp out sexism. The message fell on deaf ears, as Microgaming kicked off proceedings with a Playboy-themed show, while Endorphina had pole dancers on its stand. From Meetpie.com…

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All-Male Events Decades Out of Date, Says ICCA’s Martin Sirk

Men-only business events and ‘decorative hostesses’ should have been “thrown on the scrapheap decades ago”, says the CEO of the International Congress and Convention Association. But Martin Sirk said the recent Presidents Club scandal should not be seen as typical of the sector. The industry had previously been attacked for its response. From Association Meetings International…

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Despite Brexit, UK Companies Still Choosing European Destinations

Despite the UK’s imminent exit from the EU, Britain’s corporate event organisers continued to stage events in continental Europe during 2017 with 45 percent of clients choosing international venues. The British Meetings & Events Industry Survey shows Germany to be the preferred European destination among respondents, and equally as popular as the USA. From Meetpie.com…

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Sexual Harassment Rife at Meetings, Survey Says

A survey of female event professionals shows that 61 percent have encountered inappropriate behaviour within the industry. Many said complaints of harassment had been laughed off or they were told not to make a fuss. One answered “I have been told that this kind of thing is just ‘what happens in the industry’”. From Meetpie.com…

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Presidents Club Shuts Down After Event Harassment Claims

The Presidents Club, which hosted an event at the heart of a reported sexual harassment scandal in the UK, has announced that it is closing down. The organisation held a men-only charity fundraiser at which, an undercover report by the Financial Times alleged, young women paid as hostesses were groped and propositioned. From Meetpie.com…

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US Bars Hundreds of Government Scientists from Conference

Around 450 US Geological Survey researchers typically attend the annual conference of the American Geophysical Union. But ahead of the recent event the Interior Department said no more than 199 could travel to the meeting, and spending could not exceed $399,000. Only 178 attended and 30 abstracts were withdrawn by absent scientists. From Association Meetings International……

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Barcelona’s Future as Mobile World Congress Host Less Certain

The commitment of one of Barcelona’s biggest association meetings, Mobile World Congress, has become lukewarm amid ongoing political unrest after the Catalonian independence referendum. Last year MWC attracted 108,000 delegates to the city, generating €465 million for the local economy and more than 13,000 temporary jobs. From Association Meetings International…

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Brexit Threatens London Business Dominance, Says WTM Survey

As the US’s global image as a destination for business travel appears damaged under current politics, so does that of London thanks to Brexit. The Top 100 City Destination Ranking WTM London Edition, by Euromonitor International, claims the UK capital is now under pressure. Paris, Frankfurt, Berlin, Stockholm, Dublin and Amsterdam may stand to gain. From Meetpie.com…

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Will Conferences Drop the US for Canada?

After three strikes at at travel ban, the call to end DACA, and a proposed wall on the US / Mexico border, how seriously has America’s global image as a welcoming destination been damaged? Recent research suggests it is tarnished, with one CEO also now claiming the US’s loss may be Canada’s gain. From PCMA…

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Is Charlottesville Losing Business for Trump’s Mar-a-Lago?

President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida has already been referenced by those protesting his stance on climate change. Now in the days after his comments on the violence in Charlottesville, three big charities have cancelled events at the iconic venue. None have explicitly linked their decisions to the remarks. Photo: Edward Kimmel. From Meetings & Conventions…

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Another Texan Tale of Reverse Legacy

Following the boycott of another legal association last month for different reasons, the American Association of Law Libraries has decided not to stage future events in Texas. The AALL cites a new state law allowing publicly funded agencies to deny services for children in care on religious grounds, and also the proposed “bathroom bill”. Photo: LoneStarMike. From Meetings & Conventions…

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A Texan Tale of Reverse Legacy

The Iceberg exists to champion the legacies business events bring to destinations. But sometimes the approach is not that of the carrot, but the stick. The American Immigration Lawyers Association is pulling its conference out of Texas after the state passed a law the AILA says “is so blatantly contrary to our mission”. Photo: Phil Roeder. From PCMA…  

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