ECA continues to advocate for lower visa wait times at US embassies and consulates around the world. As of May 25, 51 US embassies and consulates had average interview wait times of 3 months or longer. Long wait times persist in Mexico, India, Columbia, and the United Arab Emirates, among other countries. While wait times…
Tourism faces constant challenges, but political instability has emerged as a critical disruptor. How do political shifts affect travellers and how can destinations stay resilient? TOPOSOPHY’s research, based on a 6-country survey and case studies, explores traveller perceptions and offers smart strategies for destinations to build trust and adapt, whether facing a crisis or preparing…
From CNBC: Visitors to the United States will need to pay a “visa integrity fee,” according to a provision of the Trump administration’s recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The fee applies to all visitors who need nonimmigrant visas to enter, and cannot be waived. However travelers may also be able to get the…
From Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance: ECA, EDPA, IAEE, SISO, UFI, and 160+ trade associations have called on the U.S. Trade Representative to rescind the port fee on Chinese-built ships, scheduled to take effect in October. ECA continues to strongly oppose tariffs that raise costs on event organizers, suppliers, exhibitors, and attendees alike…
From Northstar Meetings Group: Brand USA executives set a largely optimistic tone during their summer board meeting Thursday, acknowledging the challenges ahead while highlighting promising developments and underscoring the imperative that they market the country effectively as a travel destination. “Like many of you, we were disappointed by the reduction of Brand USA’s federal matching…
From Northstar Meetings Group: The Biotechnology Innovation Organization’s 2025 BIO International Convention brought more than 20,000 biotech and life sciences professionals to Boston on June 16-19. More than four in 10 of the registrants (43 percent) were international, with Korea, Canada, the U.K., Japan and China representing the top five countries in attendance, respectively.
From Skift Meetings: In a city where hotel taxes are among the highest in the nation, Chicago’s tourism leaders say a 1.5% surcharge is the only way to stay in the game. Kristen Reynolds, just two months into her role as president and CEO of Choose Chicago, is focused on what she calls a critical…
The IACC Americas Knowledge Exchange is more than a conference. It’s an immersive three-day experience that unites the IACC community of venue operators, meeting professionals, and industry partners for bold thinking, practical learning, and powerful networking. Learn from forward-thinking speakers and thought leaders shaping the meetings and events industry. Connect with a global network of…
David Adler calls for the USA (and by implication, many other countries) to emulate the long-term strategic thinking behind Germany’s Messe-model success story. Trade show venues should be seen as intellectual infrastructure, creating and taking ownership of world-leading events that reflect the business and scientific strengths of the host city. From Gathering Point News…
David Adler sets out a Convening Manifesto for the US business events sector whilst explaining the impact and mourning the recent drastic cuts to Brand USA’s budget. Top of the agenda: “Reframe events as national strategy – not tourism perks”! From Gathering Point News…
Small & Boutique Meetings — Northstar’s premiere hosted-buyer event designed specifically for small and boutique-sized meetings — bringing together highly-qualified meeting buyers with destinations, hotels, DMCs, technology and merchandise providers, and other suppliers ready to welcome smaller events. Attendees participate in one-on-one pre-scheduled appointments, gain industry insights from our guest speakers and network with this…
Presented by SportsTravel, and hosted by the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, TEAMS ’25 will be held October 13–16 in Columbus, Ohio. Launched in 1998, TEAMS draws more than 1,300 participants including CEOs, executive directors and event managers from sports organizations as well as representatives from sports commissions and convention bureaus, corporate sponsors, event suppliers and…
Small & Boutique Meetings — Northstar’s premiere hosted-buyer event designed specifically for small and boutique-sized meetings — bringing together highly-qualified meeting buyers with destinations, hotels, DMCs, technology and merchandise providers, and other suppliers ready to welcome smaller events. Attendees participate in one-on-one pre-scheduled appointments, gain industry insights from our guest speakers and network with this…
Destination Hawaii—Northstar’s destination-specific hosted-buyer event—brings together the most highly-qualified meeting and incentive buyers with top destinations, hotels/resorts, cruise lines, DMCs, DMOs, technology and merchandise providers, and tourism offices from the islands of Hawaii. Attendees participate in one-on-one pre-scheduled appointments, gain industry insights from our guest speakers and network with this exclusive group. This unique event…
Destination East is the premier hosted-buyer event for qualified meetings and incentive professionals sourcing programs in the East. Destination East will include destinations, hotels, DMCs, technology and merchandise providers, and other services provided in the Eastern U.S. Learn from, and be inspired by, our guest speakers who will provide targeted education specific to your needs…
Thrive: The Community Vitality Summit is where bold ideas meet purposeful action. This in-person gathering convenes destination leaders, changemakers and community stewards who are committed to creating places where everyone feels welcome, connected and valued. Formerly the Social Inclusion Summit, Thrive reflects an expanded vision to support vibrant, people-centered destinations by aligning the value of…
The Business Operations Summit is a cross-functional gathering of destination organization professionals in finance, human resources, operations and technology. This year’s summit will provide insight on post-pandemic recovery from an organizational perspective, focusing on new ways to think about how destination organizations are organized, staffed and operated. Sign Up for More Information: Be the first…
From Skift Meetings: The White House has proposed the largest single-year budget cut to NASA in U.S. history. As a result, space science and exploration are taking a hit — and so are the cornerstone conferences that support these efforts. NASA is facing a proposed 24% budget cut. The financial uncertainty is already hitting the…
It’s great to see a dramatic example of The Iceberg’s central metaphor on the cover of this book about the enormous impact and value of trade shows! It’s focused on the USA, but the arguments and insights are universal. Read a review from ExhibitCity News here. The Invisible Industry: The Evolution of Trade Shows can…
From Skift Meetings: Visa delays, funding cuts, and geopolitical tensions are driving scientific conferences out of the U.S. Some are relocating. Others are canceling. The International Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (IACBT) canceled its August 14-17 conference in Nashville — its first U.S. meeting in 40 years. Approximately 900 were expected. Organizers cited visa uncertainty,…
From PCMA: ABTS is seeing some troubling trends for international health-care events — some of which are due to global misperceptions of current realities in the US. After Convene sent out an email invitation to participate in our pulse survey with the subject line “Is Global Uncertainty Affecting Your Events?,” I received an email reply…
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