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US Meetings Industry Campaigns on Visas

Twenty US travel and meetings industry organisations have signed a letter asking the White House to reconsider a recent Executive Order amendment. In it a target of interviewing 80 percent of temporary visa applicants within three weeks has been abandoned. The signatories – including several Iceberg partners – say the move will have negative economic impact. From Meetings & Conventions…

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UK Business Travel Spend Rises to £39bn

The UK’s business travel spend in 2016 rose almost 7 percent to £39 billion, according to the Global Business Travel Association Foundation. China had the largest market, growing 9.2 percent to $318 billion (£245 billion), and India the strongest market growth, of 11.4 percent to $33 billion (£25 billion). Global spend was $1.3 trillion (£1 trillion). From Meetpie.com…

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UK Events Budgets Rise for 15 Consecutive Quarters

The second quarter of 2017 saw the 15th consecutive rise of events budgets in the UK, according to the Q2 IPA Bellwether Report. But the average increase itself is falling. Digital marketing is a new trend – with its demonstrable return on investment – as is increasing uncertainty surrounding Brexit and the UK General Election result. From Meetpie.com…

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$547bn of US GDP in 2016 is Business Travel

New figures on what the visible tip of the iceberg contributes to US GDP have been published by the Global Business Travel Association Foundation. In 2016 each percentage point of business travel spend represented 74,000 jobs, $3.3 billion in wages and $1.3 billion in taxes. Last year businesses spent $424 billion on 514.4 million domestic trips. From Meetings & Conventions…

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Paris and Los Angeles in Olympic Photo Finish

In a creative if unusual approach to bid selection – let the events industry take note – the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded the 2024 and 2028 games together to both Paris and Los Angeles. Which city hosts which games will be decided later by the destinations’ National Olympic Committees and the IOC. From CIM News Magazine…

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$10,000 Awards for Association Innovation

Applications are now being accepted for the ASAE Foundation’s Innovation Grants Program. The charitable branch of the American Society of Association Executives – an Iceberg partner – is awarding five bursaries of up to $10,000 each for innovative association projects in travel, exploration or hybrid (travel and exploration). The closing date is October 1st. From Association Meetings International…

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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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Hawaii Further Challenges Trump Travel Ban II

A federal judge in Hawaii has expanded the list of family relationships with US citizens that permit successful visa applications from countries proscribed in President Trump’s Travel Ban II. US District Judge Derrick Watson ordered the administration not to bar citizens’ grandparents, grandchildren, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. From Meetings & Conventions…

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Nottingham Launches Ambassador Scheme

The UK city of Nottingham is launching an ambassador programme to attract £5 million of research-led academic events from 2018. The scheme – run by Visit Nottinghamshire, part of Marketing NG, and the Nottingham Hospitality Association (NHA) – is intended in time to create a network of 200 ambassadors bringing in significant events to the city. From Association Meetings International…

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AIPC 2017 Annual Conference Held in Sydney

“Transformation” was the theme of the 2017 Annual Conference of the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC). The transformed meetings industry landscape of Sydney, Australia, was the setting… and at its heart the gleaming new venue of ICC Sydney. Among the speakers was Professor Greg Clark, whose city perspective was also a recent highlight of IMEX. From Boardroom…

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Name and Shame Blacklist Disowned by Conference

The plague of bogus professional attendees who serially freeload at events has long been understood by the meetings industry. But an anonymous “name and shame” email listing 31 people alleged to have no real connection with the sector has also just caused controversy. The conference to whose attendees the list was sent has disowned it. From Association Meetings International…

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Meetings Industry 2017 “Most Influential” Named

Twenty-five people have been named by an Iceberg partner publication as 2017’s “most influential” in the meetings industry. The group – sorted into “game changers”, “strategists”, “trailblazers”, “advocates” and “educators” – includes representatives from ASAE, ICCA, MCI, MPI and PCMA. All of them are making an impact right across the sector. As chosen by the editorial team at Successful Meetings…

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More than Half of Planners Suffer from Event Disruption

If life throws lemons at you, you make lemonade. Lemon tea is a great alternative. And as any event planner knows, events outside your own control can cause chaos. According to the Incentive Research Foundation’s 2016 Event Disruption study, 59% of planners were thrown lemons in 2015 and 2016 and had to deal with them. From Meetings & Conventions…

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Prague Congress Centre Upgrade Enters Phase Two

Ahead of the ICCA Congress taking place there in November, the Prague Congress Centre’s renovation project has just entered phase two. After works to make the venue more environmentally friendly were finished in early Spring – installing energy-efficient heating and cooling – the focus is now on AV, a new navigation system and Internet connectivity. From Association Meetings International…

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US Large Electronics Ban Lifted with Enhanced Security

The US Department of Homeland Security is lifting the ban on large electronic devices in passenger cabins on flights from ten proscribed Middle East and North African airports. Enhanced security protocols and passenger screening – both technological and canine – on all inbounds flights to the US will be introduced in its place. From Meetings & Conventions…

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Trump Travel Ban II Upheld (Partially)

The US Supreme Court has allowed a limited reinstatement of President Trump’s Travel Ban II. Pending a hearing in October, judges have upheld the ban on visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen where there is no “credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the US”. From Meetings & Conventions…

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Highest Number of UK Conferences and Meetings Since 2008

The UK Conference and Meeting Survey 2017 (UKCAMS) says the UK industry is running its largest number of events for a decade. The report says the industry is worth about £19.4 billion in venue and destination direct spend. But as meetings increase, their average size has decreased, keeping the sector’s value constant. Photo: Martin Pettitt. From Meetpie.com…

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ICC Wales Breaks Ground

A ceremony has taken place at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport to break ground on ICC Wales and mark the start of construction. The two year “game-changer” project will cost £83.7 million and create a venue with a 26,000 square metre footprint for meetings, conferences and exhibitions. 5,000 delegate events can be accommodated. From Association Meetings International…

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