Vienna doesn’t just want to boast record-setting meetings growth, but is instead aiming for good growth. More than just a philosophy, Vienna’s new “Optimum Tourism” strategy encompasses a variety of concrete action plans. The goal is to transform the visitor economy into an engine for improved quality of life and city-wide sustainability. From Skift Meetings…
In June 2026, Vienna hosted the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. The Festival of Robots, taking place ahead of the congress, and sustainability focus, formed a core pillar of the impact strategy by bridging science with the local community, while the Community Building Day highlighted DEI in science, encouraging inclusive environments in STEM.
The “ESID EHA SIOPE Focused Symposium 2025” started a new chapter in collaborative thinking for these three European associations. As more and more associations find themselves dealing with complex issues that are relevant to the Missions and expertise of other associations, this excellent case study helps understand not only why such collaboration is valuable, but…
The ICCA Business Workshop European Destination Marketing Sector 2026 will be hosted in Salzburg, Austria, and will bring together up to 15 ICCA Destination Marketing Members from across Europe with their European association clients, to have one-to-one business meetings and of course explore all that Salzburg has on offer for association delegates.
This event is aimed at city, regional, national, and international tourism organisations, as well as universities and companies from the hospitality and tourism industry. It is directed toward managers, academics, consultants and representatives of governments and international organisations dealing with tourism. Participants may register for both days or choose to participate in just one event.
The CVB Expert Meeting (open to all CVBs) is a compact 1.5-day format combining focused discussions, informal networking and shared moments around the table. Whether you are leading a bureau, managing operations or driving strategy, this meeting is built to offer both practical value and meaningful connections in a relaxed and open environment.
Vienna has a decades-long track-record of proactively harnessing its intellectual capital both to attract international meetings, and to ensure those meetings generate long-term legacies at both the local and global level. Here are some of the latest examples. From Boardroom…
Published by Centre for Events & Festivals: Dr Martin Schnitzer from University of Innsbruck makes the case that public trust is the new currency for hosting major events — and it’s in short supply. Mega-events often stumble when residents see them as “transactional” spectacles rather than “transformational” opportunities for long-term benefit. Destinations need to understand…
Jointly organised by City Destinations Alliance, the European Travel Commission, & Modul University Vienna, the workshop is aimed at city, regional, national, and international tourism organisations, as well as universities and companies from the hospitality and tourism industry. It is directed toward managers, academics, as well as consultants and representatives of governments and international organisations…
From BBC News: Locals in the Austrian town of Hallstatt have taken part in a protest against mass tourism. Hallstatt, which is a World Heritage Site, has just over 700 inhabitants – but gets up to as many as 10,000 visitors a day during high season. Residents are calling for limits on the number of…
Medical conferences convene hundreds, often thousands, of doctors and scientists in one city. But their expertise is seldom heard outside the conference centre. They exchange knowledge and best practice peer-to-peer, using technical language non-experts would find bewildering, in lectures, workshops, panel discussions and poster presentations. The end goal is to improve patient outcomes in the…
The EASL Congress 2023, which took place in Vienna from 21st to 24th June, brought together around 7,000 experts, researchers, and healthcare professionals from around the world to share insights and advancements in liver research and clinical practice. From the innovative sessions and workshops to the engaging ‘meet the expert’ sessions, attendees were immersed in…
The 18th TourMIS Users’ Workshop & International Seminar will be hosted in Vienna, September 7-8, 2023. It is organised jointly by City Destinations Alliance, the European Travel Commission & Modul University Vienna and is aimed at city, regional, national, and international tourism organizations, as well as universities and companies from the hospitality and tourism industry. It is directed toward managers,…
The second annual Convening EMEA conference, organised by Iceberg partner PCMA (Professional Convention Managers Association), has been held in Vienna at Messe Wien Exhibition Congress Center. The omnichannel event gathered about 400 sector professionals in person and virtually. Sustainability was a significant running theme. From Association Meetings International…
The USA performed better than any other country in hosting events of international associations last year, according to the ICCA Rankings 2021. Spain came second, then Germany, France and Italy. The country listings were released after the city results already posted, along with the publication of the report’s public abstract. From Association Meetings International…
ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) rankings just posted saw destination Vienna reclaim the top spot worldwide for the first time since 2012. The 2021 Iceberg partner survey attributed 92 congresses to Vienna, with Lisbon second (91) and Athens third (66). Barcelona and Singapore are next, then Madrid, Prague, Paris, Berlin and Brussels. From Meetings International…
Jaimé Bennett, PCMA’s Regional Director of EMEA, was taken on a tour during her site visit to Vienna earlier this year. The aim was to find places Convening EMEA participants could explore during the meeting. One was a café which helps older residents augment their pensions and social lives through baking. From PCMA…
International Women’s Day, which has now been marked for over a century, offers the opportunity to remember the key conferences and other events that have helped move the needle on women’s rights. The 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women (pictured) in Beijing, China, featured participation by future Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. From PCMA…
The 17th TourMIS Users’ Workshop & International Seminar on the Future of the Business Travel Following the COVID-19 Pandemic “Unlocking the Secrets for a Sustainable Transition” will be hosted in Vienna, September 8-9, 2022. It is organised by City Destinations Alliance, the European Travel Commission, MODUL University Vienna & UNWTO and is aimed at city, regional, national, and international tourism organizations,…
The GDS-Index is a performance improvement programme to make the business and leisure tourism industry more sustainable. In a collaborative effort it supports destination management organisations and convention bureaux to adopt, promote and recognise responsible and regenerative practices. Iceberg partner the Global Destination Sustainability Movement evaluates four key areas that it believes are vital to…
Delegates hoping to attend an association conference in Europe may be asked to produce a “COVID pass” as more governments impose restrictions on unvaccinated people meeting indoors. The rapid spread of the Delta variant has spooked leaders kickstarting their battered economies while protecting the gains made by the vaccines. From Association Meetings International…
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