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Coronavirus: GSMA’s MWC 2020 Cancelled

Mobile World Congress, the huge smartphone conference, has been cancelled after significant exhibitors pulled out citing the coronavirus crisis. The association behind the event, GSMA, could have to foot the bill for the entire cost of cancellation unless Spain’s government declares the outbreak a health emergency. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Edinburgh’s BestCities Departure “Shock”

As a founding member of twenty years’ standing, the departure of Edinburgh from Iceberg partner BestCities Global Alliance came as quite a shock. BestCities’ new MD Lesley Williams felt the loss very keenly, having in the past spent seven years as Head of Business Tourism at Marketing Edinburgh’s Convention Bureau. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Coronavirus: Macau UFI Event Postponed

UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, has postponed its Macau Asia-Pacific Conference and Digital Innovation Forum, set to take place early next month. Over 300 delegates were expected at the Iceberg partner’s event, which due to the coronavirus crisis in China will now take place “later in the year”. From Association Meetings International…

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Coronavirus: Turning Venues into Hospitals

In China, major venues like the Wuhan International Convention and Exhibition Center have been repurposed as temporary hospitals during the novel coronavirus crisis. But British nationals evacuated from Wuhan, the centre of the outbreak, have been taken to Kents Hill Park hotel and conference centre to spend fourteen days in quarantine. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Coronavirus: Cancelled Fair Reveals Crisis Scale

The potential long-term impact of novel coronavirus on international events was underlined after planners cancelled a massive art fair in Hong Kong. Art Basel, Asia’s largest event of the kind, had to be called off even though taking place in late March. Iceberg partner ICCA has made a statement on the outbreak. From Association Meetings International…

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UFI Global CEO Summit Meets Pope Francis

On the occasion of the UFI Global CEO Summit in Rome, Pope Francis invited the meeting’s one hundred participants to a private audience in the Vatican’s Sala Clementina. His Holiness spoke and shook hands with every delegate, and told them their events would “contribute to a more just and humane global economy”. From UFI…

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Glasgow’s Ambassadors Bring in £650m

Glasgow’s Conference Ambassador Programme, the first in the UK, has contributed at least £650 million to the city’s economy since it started thirty years ago. The scheme has 1,600 members. 141 events, indeed 35 percent of all meetings held in Glasgow last year, were led by a local conference ambassador. From Association Meetings International…

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Coronavirus: Meeting Disruption Roundup

As coronavirus continues to disrupt global travel and trade, planners of events are delaying, cancelling, or soldiering on with their plans. The Singapore Airshow 2020 has gone ahead with temperature screening on site. But some exhibitors have pulled out and a related conference has been cancelled. Other events have been postponed. From PCMA…

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Coronavirus: JMIC Issues Statement

The Joint Meetings Industry Council, which presents The Iceberg, has put out a statement about coronavirus. President Kai Hattendorf said the crisis showed that freedom and will to travel to meetings can be easily affected. But events are also the best way to address such issues. Photo: CDC / Dr Fred Murphy. From Association Meetings International…

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Coronavirus: Regional Event Travel Disrupted

Travel restrictions are in force across the globe as the number of cases of novel coronavirus continues to grow worldwide and the death toll within China mounts. The outbreak is now disrupting meetings all across the region. A UN biodiversity meeting was relocated. IT&CM China and CTW China have been postponed. From Association Meetings International…

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Chinese Meetings Hit by Coronavirus

With the WHO declaring coronavirus a public health emergency, and with airlines suspending their flights to China, conference managers are having to cancel, delay or relocate their meetings in the country. One professional congress organiser said his clients were exercising “extreme caution” because of the crisis. From Association Meetings International…

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Montreal’s Palais Joins with #MEET4IMPACT

The Palais des congrès de Montréal is joining with local not-for-profit and Iceberg partner #MEET4IMPACT to conduct a major worldwide study running throughout 2020. This will round up promising initiatives that business events can tap into in order to measure their social legacy and impact. From Boardroom…

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Australian CVBs Address Bushfire Fears

Leaders of Australia’s convention bureaux have sought to dampen fears about the recent bushfires and quash what they call the spread of “misinformation”. The Association of Australian Convention Bureaux says organisers and managers of events should be contacting its members for destination-specific information and advice. Photo: Rob Russell. From Association Meetings International…

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Seoul Partnering with Other Korean Cities

The Seoul Convention Bureau is partnering with other Korean cities to promote business events. In 2019 nearly 7,000 delegates made use of co-marketing support provided by Seoul and Gangwon for incentive group tours. Currently Gangwon and Gwangju have agreements with Seoul, with four more cities joining up later in 2020. From Meetings International…

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Malaysia to Welcome 65,000 Delegates

Malaysia is expecting to welcome more than 65,000 conference and exhibition goers in 2020, national convention bureau MyCEB having secured 42 business meetings over the next 12 months. Most delegates, expected to boost national coffers by RM654 million (€144 million), are employed in healthcare, telecoms, or science and technology. From Association Meetings International…

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Corporate Travel Spend Hits Five-Year High

The number of corporate travel buyers forecasting bigger budgets for 2020 is now at a five-year high, according to annual research from the Business Travel Show. 41 percent of buyers said they would have more money to spend on travel in 2020, a rise from 33 percent last year. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Nara Convention Venue Set for Spring Launch

Famous for its giant Buddha and historic temples, the ancient city of Nara will open a new venue this spring in a bid to become one of Japan’s leading event destinations. The Nara Prefectural Convention Center will allow the compact city to host conferences for up to 2,000 participants. From Association Meetings International…

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MCEC Opens Doors for Bushfire Evacuees

As bushfires continue to cause devastation across all of Australia, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre has become a disaster relief centre. It is offering transition assistance to evacuees from Mallacoota in East Gippsland, including access to food and water, medical support and other services. From News.com.au…

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