Convention bureaus have operated as key stakeholders in the meetings industry for over a century, assuming major responsibility for marketing their cities, regions and countries as destinations for the hosting of business events, from small corporate gatherings to the vast annual conferences organised by international associations. During all of that time it has been clearly…
The health and safety of event attendees has always been a big consideration for meeting professionals. The COVID-19 outbreak, however, has brought health and safety into focus like never before. As many organisations consider resuming incentive group travel programs, health and safety is the most talked about element and an area of uncertainty as COVID…
Average association meetings were fifty percent bigger in 2020, but only because they pivoted online. So say the latest ICCA Statistics just posted. Average registrations rose from 908 to 1,356 delegates, but associations did take a huge hit on fees, average prices dropping from $525 to $211. From Association Meetings International…
The Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe has published an update of its study “The Impact of Coronavirus on Europe’s Convention Sector”. The report proffers three recovery scenarios to reflect possible futures given the level of uncertainty about how the pandemic will evolve over coming months. From Meetings International…
One in three European convention bureaux have suffered public sector budget cuts over the last year. That’s according to a new report into the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic upon meetings. Over fifteen percent of bureaux had “stopped or severely reduced” bidding as associations grappled with the uncertainties of planning events. From Association Meetings International…
In celebration of Global Meetings Industry Day, PCMA hosted the first ever PCMA APAC and EMEA debate, attracting over 500 registrations from 57 countries. Moderated by Oscar Cerezales, Global Executive Vice President Corporate Division of Iceberg partner MCI Group, the big debate discussed the pros and cons of the potential vaccine passport. From PCMA…
A roadmap to merge the Events Industry Council with the Joint Meetings Industry Council (which presents The Iceberg) was finalised in December with both optimistic it would get ratified. JMIC members gave the plans unanimous support, but the deal is no longer on, albeit with the door still apparently left ajar. From Association Meetings International…
With over 400 members active in over 35 countries, WindEurope has become the mouthpiece of the wind industry in Europe and worldwide. From December 1st to 4th 2020, what should have been its normal exhibition and conference became a full TV show, featuring commercials, news bulletins, weather forecasts and even games. From Boardroom…
Data now released by Iceberg partner UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, identifies the European exhibition market’s development in twenty one countries. The certified data is gathered by a network of thirteen collaborating industry bodies from across the continent. The events examined showcased 643,738 exhibiting companies. Statistics in the report cover 2,416 exhibitions…
Has COVID-19 forced a new digital era in medical education? What do healthcare professionals (HCPs) really think about virtual scientific congresses? As the life sciences industry and medical associations prepare for a world in which virtual attendance becomes part of the “new normal”, the International Pharmaceutical Congress Advisory Association (IPCAA) and global healthcare meetings specialist,…
Two event industry associations have called on governments to prioritise coronavirus testing over quarantine so as to “keep business going”. Iceberg partner UFI, global association of the exhibition sector, with Society for Independent Show Organisers SISO want policymakers to make use of rapid antigen COVID tests. From Association Meetings International…
A survey on funding from Iceberg partner European Cities Marketing has shown 75 percent of Europe’s city destination management and marketing organisations have seen budget reductions as a direct result of the pandemic, some reporting cuts of over 50 percent. From Conference & Meetings World…
To have international association meetings looking anything like they did before COVID-19, either of two things must happen: enough host countries push their daily case rate down to nearly zero so overseas delegations become possible, or else science comes to the rescue with a vaccine or treatment(s). From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
CPhI Japan, the pharmaceutical trade show organised by Informa Markets, has announced that it will postpone until 2021. It had been set to run in Osaka from September into October, but will instead run at the Big Sight Exhibition Centre in Tokyo in April. CPhI brings together more than 100,000 pharma professionals. From Exhibition World…
Trade show business will contract by 60 percent compared to 2019, says global association of the exhibition industry and Iceberg partner UFI. €158 billion of total output and 1.9 million jobs are now affected. The updated assessment compiles data from the new UFI Global Exhibition Barometer. From Exhibition World…
After months of lockdown, many countries are just now gradually reopening events. This is not just countries that have suppressed the pandemic, but also many where the situation remains uncertain during a second wave of cases. So how do events look in a COVID-19 world? From Rod Kamleshwaran of the Iceberg partner GainingEdge via LinkedIn…
Unprecedented times mean unique collaborations. The Joint Meetings Industry Council has held a global webinar, delivered by The Iceberg and presented across four regional satellite events by four trade shows (AIME, IBTM, IMEX and Meetings Africa). JMIC was crowdsourcing ideas for an advocacy manifesto. From Conference & Meetings World…
Europe’s largest exhibition centres have mobilised and demanded a restart on September 1st. EMECA, which represents major venues, issued a statement on the urgency of reopening centres and called for financial support from European and national authorities to guarantee the survival and recovery of the entire industry. From Exhibition World…
The Joint Meetings Industry Council, which presents The Iceberg, has released a manifesto that sets out arguments as to why business events can and should be utilised to drive economic recovery and renewal in the post-COVID-19 era. The document was assembled with the advice and input of a broad range of industry leaders. This was…
Iain Bitran, Executive Director of the International Society for Professional Innovation Management, shares the challenge of transforming a physical conference into a digital meeting. In just eleven weeks and with around 400 contributions, the XXXI ISPIM Innovation Conference succeeded in “Innovating in Times of Crisis”. From Boardroom…
A New Zealand conference where experts will discuss protecting the earth’s precious wetlands is being held up as an example of the great positive impact of business events upon society. The 11th INTECOL International Wetlands Conference is being staged in October 2021 at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
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