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Barcelona Leads ICCA’s Association Meetings City Rankings

Barcelona hosted more international association meetings than any other city last year, according to statistics from the International Congress and Convention Association. There is a familiar look to the top five of ICCA’s city rankings, but the Catalonian capital has claimed the headline spot for the first time since 2004. From Association Meetings International…

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Middle East Growth in Both ICCA’s Rankings and Membership

According to International Congress and Convention Association statistics, the Middle East has been the fastest growing region for hosting international association meetings, even starting from a low base. ICCA has pointed to an eighty percent growth in the engagement of its own Middle East membership as proof. From Association Meetings International…

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WTM Africa 2018 Gathers Travel Trade Together in Cape Town

WTM Africa 2018, the continent’s most highly-anticipated travel trade show, has taken place in Cape Town with a record number of exhibitors. The event is a major business facilitator for the region. Content included the new WTM Africa Festivals, the role of women in tourism, and the potential of the local meetings sector. From the Event…

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Blackpool Grows Business Tourism by 55 Percent

Blackpool saw the biggest growth in UK overnight business travel in 2017, with 55 percent more room nights than in 2016. The upsurge comes ahead of the town’s new £25 million conference and exhibition centre, set to open in 2019. According to new research there is significant growth also from Peterborough, Preston and Bradford. From Meetpie.com…

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US Convention Bureaux Respond to Proposed Stricter Visa Vetting

Convention bureaux in the US have responded to proposals by the Trump administration that would require most visa applicants to submit details of their social media accounts. Under strict new vetting procedures, details of accounts held in the last five years on sites like Twitter and Facebook would be required. From Meetpie.com…

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New Report Reveals How Planners Pick Destinations

Destination websites and industry trade shows are the key sources for North American planners in meeting and event site selection, according to a new report from analytics firm STR. Three-quarters of the planners also turned to an industry trade publication in 2017, and 19 percent had attended the most recent IMEX industry conference. From Meetings & Conventions…

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International Convention Delegate Spend Rises in New Zealand

The total spend by international convention delegates coming to New Zealand rose 17 per cent from 2017 to 2016, despite a drop in total delegate spend from NZ$588 million to NZ$506 million. The Convention Delegate Survey from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment shows that international events are a major growth sector. From CIM News Magazine…

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Cape Town Targets Incentives Despite Drought

Cape Town is to bid for more incentive travel business over the next twelve months, as it sends out the message that the region is still open for business. The city is currently suffering one of the worst droughts in its history, and could actually even run out of water. From Meetpie.com…

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South Korea Builds Conference Business on the Winter Olympics

Building on the success of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Korea Tourism Organisation is organising a series of roadshows across Europe and America to promote South Korea as a conference and meeting destination. Vienna, Brussels, New York, Washington and London are on the itinerary, and several of Korea’s convention bureaux are exhibiting. From Association Meetings International…

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Risk Management is Meeting Planners’ “Achilles Heel”

Most meetings and events organisations aren’t meeting minimum standards of risk-managment protocols for attendees. That’s according to a survey conducted by iJET International and GoldSpring Consulting. The report, “Achilles Heel: Meetings & Events Risk Managment Lags Corporate Travel Programs,” is based on responses from more than 400 planners and decision makers. From Meetings & Conventions…

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Destination Safety and Cleanliness Key for Planners

Meeting planners say a safe environment and a clean and attractive place are critical in making their destination decision, according to the latest STR DestinationMAP survey. STR surveyed 865 planners of gatherings with 100 or more attendees who considered at least three of forty major North American markets for their events. From Meetings & Conventions…

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Visit Florida Gets $76m for Coming Year

Florida legislators have approved a $76 million budget for Visit Florida in the coming financial year, the same as for 2017 – 2018. Governor Rick Scott had called for $100 million. The Senate initially proposed $50 million. But the settlement fight was nowhere near the battle that ensued a year ago. From Meetings & Conventions…

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Spain, China and Dallas Among Most Popular Destinations of 2018

Spain, China, and Dallas are among the most popular meeting and incentive destinations of 2018. That’s according to the latest Pacific World Destination Index, which reflects more than 5,000 international inquiries from meeting and incentive planners, actual meeting and event results, and feedback from industry participants around the world. From Successful Meetings…

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Dubai’s Meeting Ambassadors Behind Two Thirds of Bids Won

More than 150 doctors, scientists, industry experts and business leaders have been honoured in Dubai for their role in attracting prestigious international meetings to the emirate. The ambassadors, members of convention bureau Dubai Business Events’ Al Safeer Programme, last year supported two thirds (67 percent) of successful bids for association conferences. From Association Meetings International…

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Visit Florida’s Budget Battles Resume

Less than a year after the last Visit Florida budget battles, the fighting for funding is again underway. Governor Rick Scott (pictured) has called for a $100 million budget, while the House of Representatives wants to keep the current $76 million and the Senate wants to cut it to $50 million. From Meetings & Conventions…

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Club Liverpool Announces New Chair and £3.8m Return

Colin Sinclair, Chief Executive of Knowledge Quarter Liverpool, is the new Chair of the city region’s conference ambassador programme. An audience of sixty gathered at Liverpool Cathedral to celebrate Club Liverpool, a partnership between the Convention Bureau and ACC Liverpool, and the conferences with an economic value of £3.8 million it has helped secure. From Meetpie.com…

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20 Dead in Kabul Conference Hotel Terror Attack

The death toll from a Taliban terror attack on a hotel in Kabul has risen to 20, including 14 foreigners. The victims were shot during a 14-hour rampage at the hotel, which was hosting an IT conference. Afghan security forces were lowered onto the roof and killed the six attackers aided by Norwegian troops. From Meetpie.com…

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US Meetings Industry Generates $330bn Per Year

The United States meetings industry generates a massive $330 billion annually, according to the Events Industry Council’s latest Meetings Significance Survey. This is a $50 billion rise since 2014’s first report. In 2016, 1.9 million US meetings took place. The study canvassed 1,300 planners, 9,000 domestic business travellers and 50,000 international travellers. From Meetings & Conventions…

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