UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has selected Chris Skeith, OBE, as the organisation’s next Chief Executive Officer, taking over from Kai Hattendorf on the 1st of January 2025. Skeith will join UFI from the AEO (Association of Event Organisers), the leading association for organisers of events in the UK and internationally, where…
From Meetings International: The Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDSM) has announced the top five finalists for this year’s GDS-Index, which ranks the sustainability efforts of over 100 destinations worldwide. Gothenburg, ranked number one since 2016, is once again a finalist. The final ranking will be announced on 16 October in Bruges. Peter Grönberg, CEO of…
A report produced for the European Travel Commission by TOPOSOPHY Ltd: In today’s interconnected world, the tourism sector is among the industries most susceptible to the ripple effects of global crises. From terrorism and political instability to the unpredictable nature of pandemics and natural disasters, destinations’ challenges are varied and profound. In this context, resilience…
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Barbara Jamison Heads up the European Business Team at London & Partners (London Convention Bureau), the Mayor’s official promotional agency for London. Barbara’s experience in the industry has covered every aspect of tourism in Global markets… youth and educational tourism, tour operating, Destination and Event Management, Major Events including the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic…
From M&IT: SIC codes and the value of business events were the main discussion topics with MPs at beam’s State of the Nation event at Cliveden House. Senior representatives of the beam agency and venue members, as well as Windsor MP Jack Rankin and shadow business minister Mike Wood, were joined at the invitation-only event…
From Exhibition News: Nineteen Group has been sold to an additional private equity fund for around £225m. The sale establishes a new Growth Partnership Fund, led by Kline Hill Partners and co-led by Ares Management, and includes the continued involvement of Nineteen’s original investor, Phoenix Equity Partners. The ‘continuation’ fund is worth £200m and will…
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Claudia Hall has been the Exhibition Director for leading global trade show, IBTM World since November 2023. With over 15 years’ experience in the meetings and events industry, she is responsible for the management and strategic planning of IBTM World. Claudia has a proven track record for inspiring the events world to deliver exceptional experiences…
From Boardroom, by Remi Deve: Attending an ICCA Central European Chapter Meeting was a first for Boardroom. Expertly organised in Zurich by the Zurich Convention Bureau, it was an insightful experience filled with valuable lessons on the future of events. Here are my key takeaways. 1. The Need for Purpose-Driven & Human-Centric Events: Co-founder and…
From Destination North East England: In partnership with the Global Destination Sustainability Movement, Destination North East England has delivered a first-of-its-kind, world-leading Regenerative Visitor Economy Framework that will support our visitor economy to work together to co-create sustainable and circular strategies and develop mindsets and skillsets that enable destinations and communities to thrive and regenerate….
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Elisabeth Van Ingelgem is the current Director of Strategy & International Development at visit.brussels, holding the role since June 2020. In this role, she oversees the strategic direction and international growth of the organization, focusing on enhancing Brussels’ visibility and attractiveness as a global tourism, cultural, and business events destination. Prior to this, she held…
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After four years of study at the Ecole Hôtelière (Hotel School) in Lausanne (Switzerland), it was quite natural that his career should be oriented toward this sector. From 1998 to 2009, he worked with Martins Hotels, overseeing the development, management, and acquisition of hotels. His diverse expertise spans business management, hotel development, marketing, and team…
By David Edwards, Freelance tourism market intelligence consultant: Once upon a time in a faraway land the Office for National Statistics published provisional monthly estimates for the volume and value of inbound and outbound tourism six weeks after that month had reached its end. Ten weeks after the end of each quarter more granular data…
The BE Sector’s foremost forum for political and policy engagement is the IMEX Policy Forum held annually in Frankfurt, hosted by IMEX Director for Impact & Industry Relations, Natasha Richards. In this video insight from the Forum, Pádraic Gilligan – the CMO of the Society of Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) and latest recipient of the…
Barcelona Convention Bureau partnered with ASSOCIATION WORLD in London to convene UK-headquartered associations to address the relevance, resilience, and strategic development of their organisations. Pick of the speakers, Paul Rulkens, a global expert in strategic high performance and popular TED speaker who offers advice and support to organisations including McKinsey, KPMG, Siemens, DuPont, Exxon Mobil,…
From tagungswirtschaft: Heike Mahmoud is now the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) and authorized signatory at the Estrel Berlin . With the planned expansion to include the Estrel Tower at the end of 2025, Mahmoud will have many tasks to do in Europe’s largest hotel, entertainment and congress complex. Born in Weimar, she is returning…
From M&IT: And so, it’s over. The Paris Olympics drew to a close on Sunday (11 August) after two weeks of thrills, spills and bellyaches with a closing ceremony with a lot riding on it. After the mixed reception to the rain-drenched river-centric opening ceremony, organisers knew they had to pull out all the stops…
By Anna Abdelnoor, CEO & Founder, isla: The shock and horror being expressed as a result of the riots in the UK is normal, but we can’t ignore they’ve been fuelled by decades of economic depravation, misdirecting racist political rhetoric and media-stoked ‘culture wars’. This rhetoric doesn’t exist because media and politicians actually believe the…
The Paris Olympic Games are approaching the finish line, and I had the opportunity to get a close and personal look at the games from many perspectives: as a (part-time) resident, a visitor, an event professional, and a spectator. Here are some observations. As a destination… Paris blends the Olympic venues into the city with…
From Destinations International: At this year’s IMEX, the central focus was Impact through business events with a key emphasis on sustainability. This event brings the global business industry events community together to do business, inspire change, and lead the way with impact at the forefront of every decision. In the coming years, IMEX plans to…
PCMA’s flagship event for the EMEA region, Convening EMEA, rolls into Barcelona 30th September – 2nd October with Trust, Strategy, and Future the three key thematic pillars to the event. Jaimé Bennett, PCMA’s charismatic managing director for the 117 countries represented, explains how a Programme Architecture will allow for intentional and personalised experiences in order…
From The Guardian, by Barney Ronay: Avant: le deluge. There was a moment, about an hour into Paris 2024’s Grand Opening Spectacular, as the rain soaked through shoes, trousers, socks and eventually skin, hair and bone; as yet more boats of waving people chugged down the Seine, like watching an endless series of weirdly nationalistic…
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